You Can't Say 'I Hate You' Forever
by Rockapotamus
Summary: A new girl transfers to Sky High from Australia, and Warren finds out she's a fellow pyrokinetic. Bitingly sarcastic and full of hate, Seree is just the type of girl Warren loathes. However, the two grow closer as the school year progresses.
1. Flame

My first Sky High fanfiction, so try not to be too harsh. Warren may seem out of chracter, too, but that may be because I came into the movie when Warren and Will were engaged in their first game of 'Save the Citizen'.

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Warren sighed. Another boring day at Sky High, made even more boring if you were the resident freak/outsider. He was a common 'freak': shoulder-length black hair with red streaks, taller than most. Nobody talked to him, nobody attempted to make friends with him... not that he didn't like it, but sometimes he did get lonely. Outsider-dom had it's perks, though... like the constant way people were afraid of you. That was one of the better parts of being labeled as an 'outsider/freak'.

Warren took his assigned seat, sick of the dull schedule his life had. School, work, sleep. That's about all he did. However (little did he know it), his life was about to change. Drastically.

"Class, we have a new student," the teacher said brightly, and though everyone's attention was focused on that, Warren didn't look up. It was probably just some ditzy blonde wearing bright pink clothes with the power to make bubble-gum appear out of thin air. He chuckled slightly at the thought, but was completely surprised by the girl that walked in.

She was far from a ditzy blonde. She was wearing an over-large hoodie with the word 'Australia' printed across it in big red letters, jeans, and some black Nikes. She had the hood up, and the teacher said to her, "Hoods off please, Ms. Whilde. I'll warn you if it starts raining." The girl reluctantly flipped her hood off, and Warren's eyes widened. Underneath the hood was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had dark, reddish-brown hair, and defiant, bright green eyes swept over the class. She had a stubborn chin and full lips, with a smattering of freckles across her pale skin. Her eyebrows slanted slightly down, and she had thick eyelashes. "Everyone, this is Seree Whilde. She's transferring from Australia, so be nice," the teacher droned, and Seree's eyes flicked from him to the class.

"I don't need no one to be nice to me here," she said, her voice ringing loudly in the room. Her Australian lilt softened the words and smoothed them together, making her voice melodious. "Besides," she began, looking down at her hand. A fireball appeared in it, and she smiled slightly as it danced from her palm to her fingers. "If any of you come near me, I'll barbecue you," she finished, smiling maniacally at the class. Several of the class gulped, and Warren felt the atmosphere in the room change from relaxed to almost stretched. She nodded to the teacher, who was gaping at her, and took her seat. She sat next to Warren (go figure), and flipped her hood up again. "And if you say anything more about my hood, I swear I'll fry you," she barked to the teacher, who looked sincerely frightened. Warren could sense her smirk under her hood, and used his iron self-control to keep his eyes from wandering to her hunched form throughout the rest of the class period.

Lunch was next, and Warren made his way to his ordinary table. No one sat there, seeing as how he, 'the outsider' always sat there. However, today was becoming more strange. He found the new girl sitting at his table, quietly munching on her food while reading a book. He sat down, and glared at the girl. She flicked her eyes up from her book, studied him for a minute, then continued reading. "Hey," he said angrily, and she flicked her eyes back to him. "This is _my_ table. _Nobody_ sits here." Her eyes turned from curious to steely, flashing anger at him.

"Sorry, mate. Didn't get the memo," she snarled at him, but continued sitting where she was.

"I thought I just told you to move," Warren growled back, his anger flaring. However, he couldn't say he wasn't intrigued by her boldness.

"Don't see your name on the table. And it's a free country," Seree replied, her green eyes blazing into his dark brown ones. He stood up, banging his hands on the table. People had stopped their conversations and had begun to whisper, pointing at the two. Seree eyed him, raising one eyebrow. "Is that supposed to scare me, big boy?" She asked, her tone mocking as she returned to her book. "'Cause you don't scare me one bit." Warren, his face contorted in anger, shot a fireball from his hand and set her book alight. It turned to ash in her fingers, and she stared at where it had been. "I was _reading_ that!" She screamed, standing up and whirling towards him. He replied to her comment by smirking at her, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking smug.

However, the anger that reflected from her eyes caused him to take a step back. The air around her began to smolder, and flames grew on her fingertips. "I'll fry you alive," she whispered, her anger fueling the blaze at her fingertips. For a moment, Warren felt a pang of fear. In the moment's hesitation that he had given, Seree had gathered her fire and cannon-balled it at him. It slammed into his chest, causing him to fly backward. Although he controlled fire himself, the fire she had shot at him sent pain running through his body. He slid along the ground for a minute, and hopped back on his feet. His hands flaming with his characteristic fireballs, he shot them in quick succession at her. She dodged them, until one skimmed along her face and nearly set her hair alight. She took off her hoodie, and raised her hands in a fighting position. "What's the matter?" She taunted, her green eyes strangely happy. "Afraid to hit a girl?"

Warren charged at Seree, but she evaded him with a neat step to the side. She brought her hand down on the back of his head as he passed her, giving him a stinging slap. He quickly regained balance, and came back with a barrage of kicks and punches. Although she blocked most of them, she got punched across the face. Giving a cry of anger, she pounced on him and pinned him to the ground. She pressed against his throat while holding his wrists well away from her, bringing her face inches away from him. Several strands of hair were hanging over her face, and she was breathing heavily. Warren was in no better condition. "I win," she said through gritted teeth, and gave a cry of surprise when she was yanked off of him.

The teachers stood there, one of them holding the back of Seree's shirt. She growled at him and twisted out of his grasp, flailing wildly until he let her go. Another teacher offered his hand to Warren, who got up by himself. Yet another teacher stepped out of the crowd. "Alright, now that we've made sure that you two aren't going to kill each other," he began, and his voice quickly became menacing. "_What_ is going _on_ here!" He screamed, and Seree stared at him unblinkingly. Warren sighed resignedly and opened his mouth, about to tell the teacher it was _his_ fault for the fight, when Seree saw him and spoke up.

"It's my fault, sir. I provoked him. I trespassed on territory not meant to be trespassed," she said, holding the teacher's furious gaze coldly. Warren gaped at her in surprise, and her eyes flickered from the teacher to him. The look in them was strange... the eyes seemed curious, not full of hate as they had been a moment ago. The teacher watched her for a moment, then decided she was sincere.

"You are telling the truth," he said quietly, and a small smile broke out on Seree's lips. "However," he said loudly, now addressing both her and Warren. "Both of you must be punished. Now, as punishment," he stopped, studying the two. They were glaring at each other again, and a wry smile grew on the teacher's lips. "Both of you will be each other's partners in _every_ school activity that requires partners for the rest of the year. Science projects, 'Save the Citizen', and anything else that might need partners," he concluded, and Seree's mouth dropped open.

"What!" She screamed, her green eyes carefully cleared of all emotion. Warren was also protesting, gesturing wildly with his hand and arms. The two tried to argue with the teacher, but he remained faithful to his decision. An hour later, the two were picked to participate in 'Save the Citizen'. Seree had fiercely protested wearing the armor that they set out for the partners, and many of the negotiators had walked away singed. So she was wearing a simple tank-top and jeans, her hair done up in a low ponytail. She glared out of the corner of her eye at Warren, and muttered angrily, "You suck." He replied by flipping her off, and she flared with anger. However, the bell rang, and the two darted towards their opponents.

The two were basically the same as they always were, with an exception. The fat guy, who was normally there, had caught the flu, so the Lash guy had traded him out for a guy with knives for hands. Seree immediately went for the knife guy, and was busy taunting him while Warren grappled with Lash. Seree was extremely agile, her body twisting lithely as she emanated a serene atmosphere. Her facial expression was calm, even a bit happy, as she evaded the knives with ease. Warren blasted Lash, and had a second to rest. He turned to yell at Seree that time was ticking, and his eyes widened in surprise. She looked beautiful, even exotic, as she dodged the knives with ease. She even had her eyes closed, and there was a smile playing on her lips.

In his rapt attention on Seree, Warren had completely forgotten about Lash. Suddenly a hand grasped the back of his armor, and he was hurled towards Seree. Her eyes snapped open, and she gave a cry as he slammed into her. She hit the stadium wall hard, and slid down the cold concrete. Her eyes were closed in pain, and she emitted a small groan as Warren rolled off her. "Seree," he called, grabbing her wrist and yanking her up. She couldn't even stand on her feet, and fell forward onto Warren's shoulder. "Seree!" Concern clouded his senses, and he didn't notice Knives coming up behind him. To his complete surprise, her eyes opened slightly and she shot a fireball at Knives. It landed right in his face, and he fell backward, completely incapacitated.

"Watch it," She commanded, sounding irritated. "You let emotions interfere too much when you fight. Anger is good for power, but anything else..." she shrugged, getting up slowly, "...will only slow you down." He nodded, completely dumb-founded by this new girl.

"What's the matter, Pyro?" Lash called tauntingly from behind the 'citizen'. Seree sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, closing her eyes in exasperation. "You havin' some fun with your boyfriend over there?" Her eyes shot open, and her head whirled in the direction of Lash. Warren could feel the air around her change from relaxed to angry.

"_What _was that?" She cried, anger pulsating from her. Lash repeated his comment, his smirk burning itself into her mind. A low growl came from Seree's chest, building up into her throat. Her pupils shrank and disappeared, her eyes filling with a bright orange-ish color. The air around her crackled and shimmered, and fire appeared wherever she took a step. Soon she had fire swirling around her, as if she were trapped in a cyclone of the flames. With every step, more of the floor melted. Warren stared at her back, completely baffled by her anger. Metal bent under the pressure; the walls of the stadium began to buckle. The 'citizen' was shot out of the premises when Seree stepped right next to it, and soon caught flame. Her hair fluttered as if caught in a strong wind, and she stepped towards Lash. He tried to run, fear showing plainly on his features, but her cyclone engulfed him. He was trapped inside with the thing that had immediately become his newest fear: the girl who called herself Seree.

She was standing in the middle of the cyclone; her hair was whipping around her face, and her skin had taken on the same color as the fire. Her clothes had burnt off, and it was replaced by a dress made completely of flames. "I'm surprised that I'm letting you live," she said finally, her voice echoing inside the globe of flames they were in. "Normally, anyone who said what you said would be completely charred right now." She inspected her fingers, and her eyes returned to his face. "Take it back," she said suddenly, and Lash blinked in surprise.

"Take what back?" He asked, bemused. A hand of fire appeared from the wall next to his face, and slapped him. His cheek stung from the force and from the intense heat radiating from the hand.

"My emotions are _not_ to be toyed with, boy," Seree said menacingly. "If you want to be burnt to a crisp inside my flames, that's perfectly fine. But I won't let you go without you either apologizing or taking back what you said." Lash watched her warily, then nodded when she stared unblinkingly at his face.

"I take it back," he said haughtily, and she gave him a feral smile. He blinked in confusion, and the last thing he saw was a dragon of flames erupt from the wall behind Seree. The rest was completely black.

The teachers had immediately began to evacuate the students when the walls began to crumble, but Warren had refused to budge. He and the teachers watched in growing fascination and horror as Seree was engulfed by a tornado of fire, and as Lash was eaten up by it too. The fire was still roaring, and Warren felt concern gnaw at his senses. He had never worried for anyone before, but he found the new emotion perfectly sensible when it came to Seree's safety. She had been beautiful when she was evaded Knives; it looked more like a dance, rather than a series of dodges. He had completely forgotten about the fight they had had earlier, and was waiting anxiously for Seree's safe return.

Slowly, the globe of fire was beginning to shrink. Finally it faded away, revealing an unconscious Lash in the middle. Seree was walking towards then, clothed in a dress of flames. She walked right up to Warren, staring into his eyes. The flames in her eyes receded, and the pupils returned. Her skin returned to it's normal color too, and she collapsed into Warren's arms. He held her to his chest, surprised at how cold her skin was becoming. Soon, her dress of flame also faded, and Warren found himself holding an unclothed Seree. He blushed furiously, and took off his shirt. He draped her in it, and she stirred. Somewhere in the background, Warren could dimly hear the teachers shouting stuff like "Get the clean-up over here!" and, "Whoa! We need an extra pair of clothes!" However, once her eyes opened, he was sucked into them. They were intense, staring into his eyes with a mingled expression of anger and... gratitude? He couldn't tell, because in the next moment, she had pulled away from him and swept off to gather her things.


	2. Tears

The next day at school, Seree appeared wearing her characteristic Australia hoodie, with the hood flipped up. She moved like a wraith throughout the crowds of students, not bumping into anyone or making her presence known. She moved up beside Warren, who closed the door to his locker to discover her standing right behind it. He almost jumped, but his pride prohibited him to do so. She watched him carefully, then followed him as he made his way to class. Finally, he got sick of the constant feeling that he was going to be fried, so he turned around to face her. "Why are you following me? You don't have this class!" He cried, gesturing to the door. She smirked at him, obviously knowing something he didn't know. Then her expression changed from smug to depressed, and she sighed.

"They changed all of my classes to match your schedule. And they assigned me seats right next to yours," she said sadly, and shook her head slightly. "God, this school is really extreme. I wish I stayed in Australia." Warren just grunted and shrugged. She followed him around until lunch-time, and decided to sit at his table again.

Her lunch consisted of a can of Coca-cola and a bag of chips. She ate it all though, completely absorbed in her book. Warren caught himself craning his neck to see the title of the book. Seree saw him out of the corner of her eye and moved herself so that her back was facing Warren, then continued reading. Warren sighed and ate the rest of his lunch half-heartedly. Finally, Seree turned back to Warren, and was about to strike up a conversation when Lash sat next to her.

She glanced at him, then back to Warren. "What are you doing here, Taffy-boy?" She asked angrily, glaring green death at him from the corners of her eyes.

"Just wanted to see how my favorite girl was doin'," he replied smoothly, snaking an arm around her shoulders. Something red-hot flared deep in Warren's stomach; he quickly calmed the feeling before he had time to know what it was.

"Dude?" Seree asked, looked at him with a mocking distaste. "I kicked your stretchy butt all the way to kingdom come, and you still can't take a hint?" She concentrated a bit; her body heat flared up suddenly, and Lash yelped in pain. He quickly withdrew his arm, blowing on the singed skin. She smirked for a split second before making her face expression stone again. "Leave." Her command sliced through the air, and Lash shook his head. "_Now_," she said, her hands flaring with flame. "Don't make me put my book away, boy. I swear, this time I will leave your charred bones as the only reminder of your existence." He looked a bit scared at that, and high-tailed out of her presence. "Psh. Wimp," she said sulkily, opening her book yet again.

"Would you really?" Warren asked, keeping his tone casual.

"Mm? Really what?" She replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Really flame him like you say you would?" Her eyes grew suspicious, but he didn't back down. She sighed and shut her book, looking annoyed.

"No, not really. It depends on what he did to me first," she answered, eyeing him matter-of-factly. "Making fun of my gender or sexuality would get you singed. Making fun of my emotions-- love, for example-- would get me pissed at you. Harming any of my friends and/or boyfriend would get me _really_ pissed at you, and you'd best run." She went back to her book, and Warren watched her carefully.

"What if someone hurt you emotionally?" Warren asked, briefly wondering where the question came from.

"God, what is this? Twenty Questions!" She said loudly, slamming her book shut. She stared at Warren, trying to decide if he was serious or not. Her eyes searched his face, and she finally sighed. She gathered up her things, putting her book in her backpack and slinging the backpack over her shoulder. "I don't know what I'd do," she said quietly, and walked away. Warren stared at her receding back, and finally went to his next class.

Seree was sitting there, but she had her hood up and didn't look at him. All through the class period she averted her eyes from him, until she got tired of the glances he kept shooting at her. "Take a picture, they last longer," she snarled, getting up abruptly and sweeping out of the room. The teacher tried to call her back, but she refused to come back in the room.

Finally, the day was over. Warren took the bus home, dropped his things off, and quickly changed into his work uniform. He bussed the tables at 'The Paper Lantern', a local Chinese food restaurant, and he couldn't afford to be late again. He darted out the door, calling a quick goodbye to his mom, and ran all the way towards work. He arrived quite out of breath, tied his hair back, and began moving among the tables with a practiced ease. He was good with the dishes and stuff, but not with the customers; Mei Ling handled that.

Eight hours passed, and nothing really interesting had happened during that time. A kid had slipped on his spilled drink, though, and Warren saw that as funny. However, the day had gone like any other workday in his life: bus the tables, clean the dishes, ask the customers if they were finished with that or not. Boring.

Finally, every customer had gone. All except one. A lone figure sat at a corner table in the very back, obviously female by the long hair and slim figure. Warren mentally sighed and headed towards the table, preparing to get yelled at because the food was too cold, or the service was too slow, or something along those lines. He came to the table, and was surprised to find the girl crying. Her eyes were covered by her hands, but he could see tears running down her chin and dripping onto the table. She was sobbing pretty hard, too; her body shook with every inhaled breath. "Um..." Warren began, fidgeting uncomfortably with his shirt hem. He hated it when girls cried. "Are you... finished with that?" His words fell flat as he gestured towards her plate. He could almost feel them squelch in the thickness of the awkward silence that had developed between them.

"Take it. I can't eat anything more, anyways," the girl said, her hands not leaving her face. He couldn't tell-- it might've just been because of her tears-- but it sounded like this girl had an Australian accent. He hesitated for a moment, then sat down across from her.

Taking a deep breath, he said cautiously, "Why are you crying?"

"Because I... I love someone who doesn't love me," she replied, her voice shaking. Warren stood up, and patted her on the back. She tensed under his large hand, then relaxed. This bout of 'caring for others' was really strange. He had always found it annoying if someone cried in front of him, or if they complained about their problems. But today, he was willing to make an exception.

"Don't worry. Tell him how you feel, and maybe he'll understand," he told her comfortingly.

"Thank yo--!" She had taken her face out of her hands and had angled it towards him. She had been flashing him a grateful smile when Warren saw her face completely for the first time. In that next moment, time seemed to freeze. Warren stared at the girl who had cried to him a moment before with his eyes wide in shock; she stared at him with her mouth open and her eyes as wide as his. He had been totally wrong. Unlike his first assumption that she was just a normal girl going through boy problems, this girl was completely different.

This girl was Seree.

"Holy--!" She said, jumping up. Warren took a step back, fearing her reaction. Would she scream at him and burn him, or would she storm out? She watched him, her eyes darting from him to her hands, wet with tears. Finally, she sat down, staring wordlessly at her hands. She sat still as a statue for a minute, then put her head in her hands. Another sob wracked her body, and Warren stared at her nervously. She gave forth a keening wail, her eyes hidden behind her hands.

"Seree, what...?" Warren began, but couldn't find any words that would make her stop crying. He fumbled with his tongue for a minute, when Mei Ling caught sight of the two.

"What did you _do_!" She screamed at Warren in Chinese.

"I didn't do anything!" He cried back, and his attention was drawn back to Seree. She was sobbing more fretfully now, her body trembling. He tentatively reached out to her, his fingers grazing her shoulder. She stiffened under his touch, and her sobs slowed. He reached his other arm out, enveloping her in a hug. "Hey," he whispered to her, trying his best to make his tone soothing. "Don't cry. Whatever it is... it'll be alright." She practically melted in his arms, her hands clenched against his chest. She cried more easily now, letting the tears just flow out of her eyes. She cried for the better part of a half-hour, then broke away from Warren.

"I have to leave," she whispered, her throat raw from crying. She gathered up her things, and was heading out the door when Warren caught her arm.

"Wait," he said quietly, his voice soft.

She twisted out of his grasp, then turned around to face him. "Don't think that this means anything," she hissed at him, grabbing his shirt and yanking him down to her level. "Tomorrow, we'll go back to hating each other. Capiche?" She waited for an answer, then shook him roughly when he didn't reply. He nodded hastily, and she let him go. "Good," she said grimly, turning to leave. "By the way... thank you." Her voice was so quiet he might have missed it, but he got the message all the same. She walked away quickly, and was swallowed up by the night.


	3. Crush

Trying my best here, people. Sorry if the chapters seem a bit long. I like to write.

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The next day was Friday, the end of the week. Kids were buzzing about their weekend plans, and how they would go to the mall, or sleep in until two o' clock. He didn't really have anything planned for the weekend, except sleeping a bit later than usual. Seree was avoiding him (again), and his grades were sucking. When the math teacher passed back a report card, Seree caught the flash of a F before he shoved it in his folder. He glared loathing at her, and she returned the glare full-power. Finally (thank God), the day was over. He was heading out when Seree snuck up behind him and hit him in the back of the head with an algebra book.

"What do you want?" He snapped, not in the mood for her stupid antics.

"You. You're failing. I'm going to help you," she said in clipped sentences, grabbing his wrist and dragging him towards the door. For a girl as short as she was, she was very strong.

"Why!" Warren said irritably, trying to dig his heels into the linoleum, with little success. She suddenly whirled to him, her eyes blazing into his.

"I'm at least going to make sure you get through high school. Now, do you want to come or not?" She snapped to him, her words bitingly harsh.

"Fine," he murmured sulkily, and she grinned. He was taken aback by her smile, and when she grabbed his wrist, he didn't have the heart to protest. She led him to the edge of the school, and looked skeptically over the edge.

"We'll have to take the bus," she muttered, and yanked Warren towards the bus. Her grip was like a vice, and he couldn't break free. Soon the bus driver dropped them both off at the sidewalk near Warren's house, and Seree looked expectantly towards him. He began to trudge to his house, regretting the decision to bring Seree along. Her eyes were boring holes in the back of his head, and he could almost feel the holes. He turned suddenly, and started up his front walkway. Seree followed wordlessly, her steps making no noise. He opened the door, entering the house cautiously.

"Mom?" He called, Seree standing just outside the door. He peeked around the door to the left and right sides, and motioned for her to come in. "Good, it's safe," he whispered, and Seree gave him a puzzled look. Suddenly there came the sound of a terrible commotion upstairs, soon followed by the sounds of several someones running down the stairs. Warren groaned, and braced himself. Seree shot a panicked look at him, and barely managed to sidestep the mob of youngsters that threw themselves on Warren.

"Warry!" They squealed, completely bowling Warren over. He had just enough time to throw his backpack to Seree before disappearing beneath a mass of kids. Seree stared at him, gently setting the backpack down next to her. Warren was laughing and wrestling with a few of them, then he would turn and tickle another one. Seree sat down slowly, watching the spectacle with wide eyes. She had never seen Warren laugh, much less smile. But she couldn't help laughing at the way he was so loose with the kids, so happy and not... angry.

"So, shall we do this thing?" He said, appearing before her with a kid on his back, one hanging from his arm, and two clutched around his legs. He was smiling breathlessly, and his hair was tousled. Seree's stomach gave a strange lurch, but she nodded. Warren started walking towards the kitchen, where a mahogany table stood in the middle of the room. The kids on his back, arm and legs didn't seem to slow him down one bit. Seree stared after him, remaining where she was standing. "What?" He asked her, looking over his shoulder to her.

"You've seem to have acquired... four new growths," Seree replied, trying to suppress a smile.

"Oh, the kids," Warren said, and he flashed another smile at her. Seree's stomach erupted into a feeling she could only describe as butterflies. _Oh, no, _she thought, wrapping an arm around her stomach. _I'm falling for him. _"They love me, and I just can't reason out why." Seree slipped a mask of stone over herself, carefully concealing her emotions. Warren ruffled the hair of one kid and lifted his arm, growling in mock-anger. The kid dangled from it, and shrieked happily as Warren tickled it's exposed stomach.

"I can," Seree said, a smile tugging the corner of her lips. Suddenly a woman walked down the stairs, and Seree looked up. She was very pretty, with the same coal-black hair as Warren. The hair fell down her back in a long sheet, and she was dressed in a simple white cotton dress.

"Warren? Who's this?" She asked, her voice like the sound of a wind-chime: beautiful and sad at the same time.

"Seree Whilde. She's helping me with school," Warren replied. Seree noticed his smile was gone.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Whilde," the woman said, extending a hand with long, slim fingers.

"Likewise," Seree said, smiling winningly at the woman. Warren motioned for her to go to the kitchen, and she began heading towards it.

"Children," the woman called in a commanding tone, and the children stopped laughing, screaming, playing, etc. "Come with me, Warren has homework." The children gave a collective "Aww," but followed her up the stairs anyways. The youngest one, a girl of about three, dashed over to Warren to give him a brief hug before returning to her siblings.

Seree set up his stuff on the homework, recounting the algebra book and her notes, making sure they were on the right page and the right homework assignment. She checked the materials off as she went along, and smiled when she discovered things going so smoothly. She looked around for Warren to find him rooting in the refrigerator for something, and sighed. "Dude, hurry up," she said smoothly. "I don't have all day." He finally retreated from the fridge, clutching something. He shut the door with his foot, and twisted the cap off of...

...a beer bottle?

Seree's eyes widened, and she immediately bounded forward. She snatched the beer bottle out of his hands before he could retaliate, and stuck it upside-down in the sink drain. It began draining out with long chugging sounds, Seree bent over the sink watching it. Her hands were clutching the sink so hard that her knuckles were white, and her hair had fallen forward into her face. Her breathing came in short, irregular gasps; sweat had appeared on her brow. _Not again, not with Warren... _she thought, _I will not let him do this to himself. _"Hey!" Warren cried, and Seree whirled around. Her eyes were brimming with tears, but she looked furious.

"No," she said simply, bringing her face inches away from Warren's. "Just... no. If I ever catch you drinking beer again, I will slap you halfway into next week!" Heat radiated from her body as her anger grew higher. Warren just nodded, baffled, and she calmed down. "Okay, let's get started. Factoring polynomials isn't that hard. You're good at it, but it's the big numbers that get you mixed up." Warren, not used to be talked to like that, growled low in his throat. "Happens to everyone. Even me. Now, all you need to do is look for the factors of that number..."

They studied late into the night, quickly losing track of the time. Finally, the last part came up: working a few problems to make sure Warren understood them. He did a few problems, and gave the paper to Seree. She bent over them, studying them hard, her lips moving but no words coming out. Warren scooted closer to her, and his leg brushed against hers. To Seree, it felt like an electrical current had just run through her body, igniting feelings she thought were dormant forever. She shivered at the touch, and concentrated more on the problems. Although she was looking at them, her eyes didn't see them. In her mind, a furious battle was going on.

_You'd have never let yourself get this worked up over him a week ago!_

A week ago, I didn't know him that well.

_He drinks! You saw him!_

That could be the first beer he's had in weeks. How do I know he's a steady alcoholic?

_You can't let yourself get hurt again. Your heart wouldn't be able to take it!_

I'm strong. I'll survive.

_He isn't that type of guy, to fall in and out of love like that!_

What if he's never fallen in love?

_...Don't. Don't go for him. He'll break you._

Like I said: I'll survive.

"Seree?" Warren's voice jarred her out of her thoughts, and she looked up. "Are you alright?" Concern was flashing in his dark eyes. Her stomach did flip-flops, but she quelled them instantly. _To get this worked up over a boy? Impossible, _she thought, and gave him a small smile.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just thinking about... other things." She looked back at the paper, scanned it quickly, and handed it back to Warren. "Correct. All of them. This should help tomorrow in class," she said hastily, and started packing her things.

Warren watched her carefully; she seemed flustered, her movements quick and jumpy. Her face looked a bit flushed, too. He reached out to touch her arm, but she shied away from him. "I... I'm sorry," she said quietly, and swept out the door. Warren watched her receding back until she disappeared from view, and shook his head slightly. _Girls, _he thought, and cleaned up the mess on the kitchen table.


	4. Free Falling

Seree groaned as she rolled out of bed on Saturday morning. She hit the floor with a hard thud, smiling at it. "Hi floor," she whispered, knowing how it would look if someone walked in on her. "At least you won't reject me for anything I do right or wrong." She patted the hard, shiny wood, and got up slowly. She padded in her bare feet to the bathroom, and slipped out of her pajamas. She let the soothing hot water slide off her body, loving the feeling of the water hitting her skin. She washed her hair and skin quickly, then hopped out of the shower. She hated to leave the warm water, but she knew if she dawdled any longer, her father would wake up.

Hung-over.

Seree winced at the thought, and got dressed in a simple pair of sweatpants and a tank-top. Although it was freezing outside, she could easily up her body temperature using her powers. She scribbled out a note saying that she would be out, and walked out the door. She took her hair out of it's loose ponytail, and concentrated for a moment. She used her heat to dry her hair, and ran her fingers through it to make sure all the tangles were gone. Finally, she came to the park. It was a simple park, but there was a hidden trail nobody knew about that went up into the hills and the forests in them. Seree was the one who discovered the trail, and had immediately claimed it for herself. She had named it Blaze trail.

Seree stretched for a minute, then breathed deeply in and out. Then she started to jog, going at a slow pace, until she got to the foothills. Then she really cut loose, sprinting until she was out of breath, laughing herself silly. She loved the feeling of the wind running through her hair, of the cold brushing against her face and nipping at her shoulders. Misty morning like these were perfect for running, and Seree wasn't about to pass up any chances for running. It was like a rush for her, like her equivalent of getting high; running was the best thing on her list.

And the free-falls at the end were the best.

Seree got to the top, laughing breathlessly. She tossed her hair behind her shoulder, and walked to her cliff. She called it drop point, and far below it was a deep body of water. She smiled and sighed happily, preparing herself for the fall. She breathed in and out several times, smiling as she closed her eyes and imagined the rush of exhilaration she always felt when she fell. She opened her eyes, and walked backwards to the cliff. Falling backwards was best, then twisting in the air to form a dive. She was about to tip herself backwards when she heard someone cry her name.

Her eyes snapped open, and she turned around. Fury circulated in her veins at the thought of someone discovering Blaze; it had always been her haven, her place of serenity. Now someone was trespassing? She moved her head in the source of the noise, and saw Warren standing between two trees. An evil thought came to her mind: She knew what was beneath the cliff. Warren did not. She turned to Warren, and made it appear as if tears were in her eyes. "Goodbye, Warren," she called, doing her best to make her voice seem tearful. "See you on the other side, mate." Then she gave him a two finger salute, and spread her arms wide.

"Seree! No!" Warren cried, darting towards her. Seree smiled at him, then tipped backwards, and fell.

The familiar rush came back to her, and before she knew it, she was whooping in exhilaration. She moved herself to the form of a cannonball, thought better of it, then streamlined her body into a dive. She hit the water gracefully, smiling to herself as she imagined the look on Warren's face. She kicked her legs and resurfaced, shaking her head to get her bangs out of her eyes. She swam to the bank, and levered herself out of the water. She was shaking herself off when she heard a holler above her. She looked up to see Warren flying through the air, a look of total excitement on his face. Seree tracked his path of flight, and realized with a jolt that he was going to hit the bank next to her.

"Warren, no! You're too close to the bank!" Seree screamed, waving her arms. Warren wasn't paying attention, and Seree sighed. "Idiot," she whispered, then ran far away from the bank. She timed her approach carefully, then began pelting across the ground at full-speed. She jumped right when Warren was in her path, and grabbed him around the waist. The momentum of her jump carried them both into the middle of the pool.

Seree resurfaced sputtering in anger, and slapped Warren upside the head once he surfaced. "You _idiot_!" She screamed in his face, grabbing his shirt. "I can't believe you just _did_ that! What is _wrong_ with you!" Warren didn't reply, and Seree gave a small noise of disgust. She swam with fluid movements to the bank, and crawled out. "You're so stupid, you know that?" Seree called while using her hand like a blow-dryer. "You would have hit the bank! You could have died!" Soon her hair was dry, and she whirled away.

"Well, you weren't helping! Acting like you were committing suicide. What kind of idiot does that?" Warren yelled back, and Seree stiffened. She whirled around, but could think of no retort. She sighed in frustration and quickly walked away, breaking into a sprint. Her feet pounded the ground as she ran heedlessly, going where her feet took her. Finally, she stopped, out of breath. She looked up, wondering where she was. A graveyard, a familiar one. Seree's breath caught in her throat, and she moved through the tombstones. Finally she came to rest at a large one, with an angel on top. She stretched out a finger and traced the words on the tombstone: Anne Whilde, beloved to all who met her.

"Mother," Seree whispered, her fingers shaking. She knelt down on her knees before the tombstone, and bent her head. "Mother, I need your help. There's this boy I met, Warren, and I think I... I think I've fallen for him. But I can't... not after Dom." A breeze started up around her, and strands of her hair gently lifted and fluttered in the breeze. She smiled up at the breeze, loving it's gentle caress on her face. "What's he like? I guess... he's kind of like fire," Seree began, as if actually talking to her mother. She sat down next to the tombstone, and leaned on the side of it. "He can be raging, destructive, and hurtful, but..." She wrapped her arms around herself, remembering his hug at The Paper Lantern. "But he can be gentle, warm, and cozy. Just like fire." The breeze blew again, making a small tornado of leaves in front of Seree. "How did I meet him? Well, it started like this..."

She spent the next few hours 'talking' to her mother, laughing when the breeze blew roughly around her face. Finally, she stood up to go. "You know how Dad gets," Seree said apologetically to the tombstone, and turned her cheek to the wind as it blew gently over her face. "Goodbye," she whispered, pressing two fingers to her lips, reaching up, and pressing them to the lips of the angel. "Talk to you later, Mom." She sighed and began trudging slowly towards her house.

Seree walked up to the door, and was about to open it when she heard a crash and a curse. "Looks like Dad is up," she muttered furiously, and walked inside. She walked right past her father, and into her room. Selecting a mix of her own, she put it into the CD player. Music began blaring into her room, and she sat there until the day ended.


	5. History

Holy crap, this chapter's really short. I just realized that, sorry. Don't worry, there'll be more to come.

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The next morning was boring. Seree slept until 3 o' clock, ate some food, and went back to sleep. She woke at 12, felt very awake, and decided to take a walk. She pulled on her hoodie, put on some slippers, and headed out for Blaze trail.

She trudged along the trail, finally coming to a stop on her cliff. She stood for a moment, watching the stars, and sat on the edge of the cliff. Her legs dangled over the edge as she smiled and lay back, completely content. The night was cloud-less and beautiful, the stars twinkling dimly in the dark-blue sky. She sighed happily, and looked up as there was a mild hoot. A barn owl materialized out of the darkness, and Seree raised her wrist. "Hello, night-friend," she whispered, levering herself up into a sitting position. She stroked the barn owl's feathers, and he hooted sleepily. "You'd best get back to your nest, brother. There's more hunting to be done before dawn." She gave the bird a final stroke on it's head, then raised her wrist. The owl took off smoothly, and Seree smiled after it. "Go to the field to the left of the big oak tree! There are lots of mice there!" She called, cupping her hands around her mouth. The owl gave a hoot in reply, and disappeared into the darkness.

"Owls?" A voice said, and Seree whipped her head in the direction of the sound. As if on cue, Warren walked out of the bushes.

"God, what are you-- are you stalking me!" Seree cried, stepping backwards. Warren shook his head.

"Oh, please," he replied, walking slowly over to her. Seree sighed in resignation and sat down cross-legged, her hands grasping her feet. He sat next to her, and the two shared a brief moment of silence. Suddenly there was a screech, and another owl appeared. A horned-owl this time, it attacked Warren's head. "Ow, what the--! Seree, call it off!" Warren cried, desperately trying to keep the bird from ripping his ears off. Seree gave a low whistle, then ended it in a high, piercing note.

"Shame, night-friend. He is a benevolent creature, at least to me," Seree said to the owl, which had alighted on her wrist. The owl made a clicking sound, staring disapprovingly at Warren. Seree made the same clicking sound, varying the sound once in a while. The owl swiveled it's head in her direction, and she made a low whirring noise. The owl seemed to nod, and took off gracefully into the night.

"Once again: Owls?" Warren asked, not bothering to say anything else. He smoothed down his hair, and gazed expectantly at her. Seree sighed, and leaned back, staring at the stars.

"My mother... died when I was eight. She had been a woman of the air, able to control the wind and communicate with birds. Before she died, she taught me how to talk to them," Seree said quietly, and smiled as she listened to the crickets chirping. "But I've always had a special connection with owls. I love them, the way they move, their eyes and just the way they _live_." Seree sat up, not looking at Warren. He was staring at her, his eyes intense as he looked at her through some strands of blood-colored hair. Seree glanced at him, then sighed.

"I know what you're thinking," she murmured, raising her hand to the air. A fireball danced in her palm, and she smiled bitterly at it. "How does a girl with an air-centered mother end up with fire powers?" She clenched her fist, the fireball's light snuffed out. She opened her other hand, and another fireball appeared. "My mother... she was raped by Baron Battle." Warren's eyes grew wide, but Seree didn't notice. "After that, she and her husband, my now father, never got along really well. When she got pregnant, he protested her choice of keeping me. He never wanted me, saying she should abort or send me to the orphanage. My mother had always dreamed of having kids, so she vowed to raise me. My mother... around seven years old, she started growing away from us, longing for something we couldn't give her. She got sicker and sicker, and finally, she died. Some say she died of a broken heart, but I say she died because my father kept her cooped up in the house." She lifted a finger, and a sparrow landed on it. She smiled and sent the sparrow off, briefly telling him that he should be sleeping and shouldn't come when she calls. "She's like a wild bird. They can be beautiful, but they'll die if you try to cage them."

"I'm sorry," Warren said suddenly, and Seree gave a cold laugh.

"Why? It isn't your fault," she said, and Warren gulped. Somehow, he got the feeling that it was.

"Your mother..." he began, but a fierce wind started up. It nearly blew him off the cliff, but Seree caught the back of his leather jacket just in time.

"If you would excuse me, I have to go do something," Seree said to him, and walked off into the woods. She walked a bit farther, until she came to a clearing in the woods. "Mother," she growled as the breeze blew around her playfully. "That was Warren! You know, the guy I've fallen for?" The breeze died away for a second, then started up again. It blew almost apologetically against her face, and she scowled. "The only boy I've ever opened my heart to since Dom, and you almost kill him!" She said, but couldn't help but laugh as the breeze tickled her ears. "Alright, alright," she whispered, giggling slightly. The breeze slowly faded away, and Seree smiled sadly.

She left the clearing, looking behind her one last time. Seree broke into a small run, and quickly made it to where Warren was waiting.

"What was that about?" He asked, and she smiled slightly at him.

"I needed to talk to someone," she replied, and raised her hands. "No further questions," she said in a mock lawyer tone, and she saw a smile tug at Warren's lips. Then it was gone, replaced by the dark look that almost always christened his face. _This may take longer than I thought, _Seree thought, and sighed. "I have to go home." She turned away from Warren, and walked away. Warren watched her go, his eyes sad.


	6. Broken

This chapter has cussing! OMFG:0 It's just one word. If anyone freaks out about it, I'll get pissed. Also, this chapter's short too! Damn, I've been on a short-chapter spree. I promise the next one will be longer.

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Seree groaned as the sharp bleating of the alarm clock broke into her dream. She rolled over, her eyes opening a crack to see what time it was. Five o' clock. School. Seree snorted in disgust and slowly got out of bed, not wanted to leave the warm cocoon of sheets. She stepped into the shower, and washed her hair and skin slowly. She got out, and made some waffles for breakfast. She scooped the tasteless mush into her mouth, and walked out the door. She swung her backpack on her back on the way to the bust stop, and nearly laughed as she saw the bus come. There it was, the old piece of junk: clanking and groaning as if it wanted to die. Seree smoothly got on the bus, and looked around for any empty seats. There were two choices: one next to Lash, and one next to Warren. She walked right past Lash with a small grimace, and sat next to Warren.

"You realize how little friends you have, right?" She said to Warren, not smiling. Warren glared at her from under his hair, turning the volume up on his CD player. Seree looked away, unsuccessfully hiding her smile. Life was on track again.

Seree got through the first three periods with a liquid grace. The first period was science, with Mr. Medula. Seree had been fiddling with the parts for the freeze ray when Mr. Medula had slammed his book on her table. Seree had jumped and looked around, then had focused on a sleeping Warren. Grinning at Mr. Medula, she had said, "Warren's exhausted cause we were up all last night studying in math." The teacher had eyed Warren warily when Seree added, "I'll be sure to let him know everything we did in class today." Satisfied, Mr. Medula had walked away.

Math was next, a period which Warren hated. Seree had sat next to him, though, and had helped him through the entire period. Language arts was boring, but Seree got through it pretty quickly. Lunch was next, and Seree smiled in happiness.

She followed Warren as he sat at 'his' table. They ate their food in silence, occasionally letting their eyes meet one another's. Suddenly Seree gave a yelp and jumped up, rubbing her bottom.

"What--?" Warren began, never knowing Seree to jump up, much less yelp.

"Something just pinched me!" She cried, her eyes searching the ground. Finally, she saw what she was looking for: it looked like a striped snake, but Seree knew better. Her features darkening with anger, she stomped on the 'snake'. Someone gave a cry of pain, and Lash fell out of his seat. Seree started stepping up his arm. "Lash. I. Will. Kill. You," Seree said, accentuating each word with another stomp on his arm. Warren was watching with a smirk, until Lash yanked his arm out from under Seree. She fell backwards, and Lash caught her in his arms.

He yanked her to his chest, and gave her a carnal smile. "Ah, but mon cherie," he said in a fake French accent, his eyes glittering. Seree struggled in his grasp, but he wouldn't let go. "If I must die, then I shall at least claim a kiss." Lash leaned into Seree, whose eyes widened with fear and anger.

There was a yell from the direction of Warren's table, and something thudded into Lash. He let Seree go with a cry, and Seree's nose caught the acrid smell of burning flesh. A hand caught her shoulder, and shoved her back, away from Lash. Warren stood where Seree had been, his face like thunder, his arms smoking. Seree gasped in surprise as Warren grabbed Lash's shirt. "Don't you _dare_ touch her again," he whispered to Lash, his voice menacingly low. Lash nodded, struck dumb in his fear. Warren tossed him away, his mood dark and furious.

By the end of the day, his mood had only worsened. The fact that it was pouring outside hadn't helped. Seree also hated the rain, but she didn't let it affect her mood as much as Warren let it affect his. Gym had been torture; Lash had been especially fierce in his attacks today, and Seree had just managed to get away unscathed. Warren had just knocked Speed out and had grabbed the citizen. He was obviously still angry.

Seree walked outside, disappointed with the weather. She hadn't brought an umbrella, and she knew from a fact that her hoodie wouldn't keep her dry. She had tried surrounding herself with fire in the rain before; that had only made her exhausted and more soaked than ever. So, Seree just sighed and walked out into the rain. Warren lingered behind her, unwilling to go in the rain. Seree glanced back at him, and sighed.

"C'mon! You're gonna miss the bus!" She called to him, and his anger deepened. He stepped out into the rain, a large drop landing square on his nose. He sighed, and trudged over to Seree. Seree raised an eyebrow at him, and got on the bus wordlessly. Warren followed her, just as silent, and the two got off at the same stop. Warren walked half-heartedly towards his house when he heard Seree call him.

"Warren!" Warren turned around, his expression furious. "Warren, I need to tell you something," Seree said nervously, and Warren gave a sigh. He rolled his eyes skyward, as if seeking help. Seree fidgeted, fussing with her shirt hem. Finally, she peeked up at him from under her bangs. "I... I think..." Her throat closed up, and she gulped.

"Well? Spit it out, already," Warren commanded harshly, and Seree flinched at his words. In the back of his mind, he thought, _Seree flinched? At me? _However, anger was ruling over him now, and he didn't have time to dwell on her reaction.

"I think... I like you," she finished, her words almost too quiet to hear.

"What?" Warren asked irritably, not being able to catch her words through the pouring rain.

"I... I... Godammit, Warren, can't you see that I've fallen in love with you!" Seree cried, and her eyes widened at what she had said.

Warren's jaw dropped open in shock, and Seree took a step back. "Oh... Oh my God," Seree whispered, covering her mouth with her hands. "I just said that. I really just said that."

"You...?" Warren asked, his face unreadable. Suddenly, anger clouded his thoughts again, and he whirled away from her.

"Warren?" Seree asked tentatively, her voice small. She reached out to him and her fingers brushed against his shoulder. He growled and yanked himself away from her. Then he turned to her, his eyes dark with fury.

"Don't come near me anymore, Seree. Don't you ever come near me again," he snarled to her, and her eyes widened. There was a deep pain in them, and somewhere inside, Warren flinched. He turned on his heel, and walked away rather abruptly. Seree watched him go until tears blurred her vision, and sank to her knees. She put her face in her hands, and sobbed brokenly.


	7. In All but Blood

Seree arrived at her house with her eyes swollen from tears, and her heart mangled in her chest. She walked slowly up the stairs, walking into her room and plopping down in her computer chair. She turned the computer on, and logged onto the internet. She went to her e-mail address, and clicked on the icon that said 'New Mail'. She stared at the computer screen, then began to type.

_Toni,_

_I have done it again. I told a boy I loved him and his reply was almost predictable: he said for me to stay away from him. I don't know what to do, Toni. I love him as much, if not more, as I loved Dom. He's wonderful, with a personality like fire: gentle and warming at one moment, destructive and terrible the next. I've fallen hard for him, Toni, and there was no one to catch me. I need you now, more than you know. I don't know what I'll do if you can't come over here for a bit. Please, Toni. These are dark times I'm going through, maybe even worse than post-Dom, and you're just the thing for me right now._

_Seree_

Seree sent her e-mail, and prayed that Toni was online. About two minutes later, her computer gave a ding. 'You've got mail', it chirped, and Seree nearly smashed the voice box. Seree clicked on the letter with shaking hands, and it unfurled across the screen.

_Seree,_

_Girl, you need to stop doing that. Your guy sounds interesting, though. If I can't talk any sense into him, I'll personally kick him in the groin for you. Worse than post-Dom? Honey, I didn't think such a thing was possible. I'll fly over there tonight, and I'll meet you up at your school around lunchtime. I'll stay for as long as you want. Capiche?_

_HUGS AND KISSES,_

_Toni_

_PS: Even if there was no one to catch you after your fall, I'm gonna be the one to nurse you back to health._

Seree smiled sadly. Good old Toni. She was always there for her, through thick and thin, no matter what. Seree logged off her computer, and crawled into her bed. An ache developed in her chest, and she sniffled. Tears spilled out of her eyes, soaking her pillow. She cried for the better part of two hours, and fell asleep instantly.

Seree woke the next morning with a deadened feeling in her mind. She showered and ate as if she were a robot, and walked slowly to the bus stop. She got on the bus, and once again found that the only empty spots were next to Lash and Warren. She hesitated for a split second, then sat next to Lash with a resigned sigh. Warren shot her a look of surprise, but Seree wasn't looking his way. She was engaged in a conversation with Lash, and actually looked happy. Warren felt the strange feeling deep in the pit of his stomach again; this time, he identified it as jealousy. He shook his head, looking out the window. _You brushed her off when she admitted her love for you, remember? _He thought, chiding himself bitterly. _It's not like she's going to want to talk to you again. _

Seree moved through the first three periods with blinding speed, successfully avoiding Warren and completing her classwork at the same time. Finally, she stood in the hall to the cafeteria, staring at the doors. "Well," she whispered, cracking her knuckles. "Let the fireworks begin."

She pushed open the doors and strolled in the cafeteria, holding her head high and sweeping the room with her eyes. Her eyes lingered on Warren for a moment, then darted away to somewhere else. She searched the room for Toni's light brown hair with dark green highlights, but couldn't find her. Suddenly there was a crash from behind her, and Toni slammed through the doors, still wearing her flight goggles. "Hel-LO, my sista from another mista!" Seree cried, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Likewise, brotha from another motha!" Toni cried, lifting up her goggle, and ran towards Seree. Seree opened her arms, and Toni caught her in a hug. "I've _missed_ you!" Toni said loudly, and Seree laughed.

"Yeah, I know," Seree replied, and broke away from Toni. "It's like I was dying without my other half!" Seree did a mock 'I'm-having-a-heart-attack-and-clutching-my-heart', and Toni laughed.

Toni was a sister to Seree in all but blood. She had light brown hair with dark green highlights, and pale skin. Her hair was short, not even reaching mid-neck on Toni. Toni was as tall as Seree, and was built along the same structure. She was wearing black cargo pants and a green tank-top that had the word 'Hobo' written across it. She had two slits in her back, and looped her flight goggles around her neck.

"How was your flight?" Seree asked, leading Toni to an empty table.

"Same old, same old. Nearly clipped my wings landing, though," Toni replied, immediately grabbing a tray. Seree followed her as she grabbed some food, including a burger and a salad. They sat at their empty table again, and started chatting.

"I've told you a million times, work on your landings!" Seree cried, taking a bite of Toni's hamburger. She passed it back to Toni, who took a bite of the burger.

"I know, but I was in such a hurry to see you, I didn't wanna concentrate!" Toni replied, viciously stabbing her salad.

"Baby, you make me want to sing a melody of sighs," Seree said, wiggling her eyebrows. Toni laughed hard at this, and soon Seree was laughing, too.

Lash walked over to Warren, and tapped him on the shoulder. Warren sighed and rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Lash?" He growled, and didn't get an answer. He looked back over his shoulder to the boy, who was gaping at Seree and Toni. He pointed to the two, and Warren mustered up all his self-control to keep his eyes from bugging and his jaw from dropping.

Seree was laughing and clutching her stomach, and another girl Warren didn't recognize was pounding on the table, laughing wildly. The other girl inhaled a piece of lettuce and started choking, and Seree laughed harder. Finally, Seree pounded the other girl on the back, and she spat out the lettuce. The other girl had her head down for a minute, breathing heavily, arms splayed over the table. Then she raised her head and began laughing again, and Seree joined in with her.

"Dude... they're... laughing. _Seree's_ laughing," Lash said, still staring. Warren nodded, eyes wide. The two boys stared at the girls, not taking their eyes off them for a while.

Seree glanced over her shoulder, and saw the two staring. "Toni," she whispered behind her hand. "That's him. The one with the black hair and red streaks. His name is Warren." Toni nodded, eyeing the boy. Lash flushed and immediately exited the scene; Warren met Toni's stare gracefully, and the two began a staring contest. Finally, the hate that emanated from Toni's eyes won. Warren turned back to his food, and Toni sighed.

"He's _hot_!" She whispered to Seree, who nodded.

"He's oh so lovable, too," Seree whispered back. "I just wish he would love me back..."

"He probably does," Toni said matter-of-factly, passing the burger to Seree. Seree took a bite and handed the burger back. "Lemme guess... he was in a bad mood when you told him and he reacted harshly?" Seree nodded sheepishly, and Toni raised her hands. "See? _There's_ your problem! You should have told him when you guys were having an 'intimate' moment or something." Toni used her little 'finger quotations' on the word intimate, and Seree snorted, then giggled. The two started cracking up once again, and Seree wiped tears from her eyes.

"I have P.E. next. We have to play 'Save the Citizen'," Seree said to Toni when the bell rang and the two headed out. "Join me. Knowing Lash and Speed, who're always villains, they'll pick you and me. Lash's got a thing for me, and they'll probably want to test you out, since you're new." Toni nodded, and extended her arm.

"Shall we?" She asked, grinning wildly.

"We shall," Seree replied, linking her arm with Toni's. They waltzed into the gym together, and sat up at the top row.

Seree was completely right in her prediction that they would be picked. Seree got to the aisle, and bowed. "Fair lady," she said, extending her hand.

"Good sir," Toni replied, giving her hand to Seree. Seree smiled widely and practically yanked Toni down the stairs, where the two assembled immediately. Like Seree, Toni refused to wear the armor, and no matter how much persuasion the teachers did, she remained steadfast in her decision. The teachers finally walked away sighing, and Toni gave a high-five to Seree.

"Alright, Toni, here's the rules. Get that doll right there, and we win. We have to get through the two idiots there, though," Seree explained, pointing at Lash and Speed. Toni nodded and pulled on her flight goggles. Unlike regular goggles, whose lenses were clear, these goggles had bright orange lenses.

"Let's do this thing," Toni said, flexing her arms. "Ready, Pyro?"

"I was _born_ ready, Wings!" Seree said back, and the whistle blew. Seree immediately started throwing fire, her aim precise and hard to evade. Speed already had a couple burn-marks when Toni decided to jump into the fray.

She bent over, and a burning sensation came from the two slits in her back. She grit her teeth, and two lumps formed on her back. The lumps grew, and burst from the thin layer of skin surrounding them. Two leathery wings, much like bat wings, flapped in the air. They were large and muscular, with a span of about seven feet. Toni smiled, and launched herself towards Lash. Grabbing the stretchy boy's arms, she pumped her wings hard. She shot across the stadium, and tied Lash's arms to a beam in the ceiling. "That should keep you busy," Toni said smugly, and looked at the clock. Forty-five seconds left. Enough time to knock out the other boy.

Toni's eyes glowed a bluish white; her hands crackled with electricity. "Seree!" She called, flying towards her and Speed, and Seree nodded. She thrust her hand palm-up into the boys face, where the hand ignited. Speed screamed in pain, and Seree gave a thumbs-up to Toni. Toni raised her hands, and balls of lightning gathered in them. She shot two at Speed in quick succession, and they landed right in his chest. He fell backward, knocked unconscious, and Seree laughed. She turned to look at the clock, and her eyes widened. Five seconds left.

"Toni! Double-decker bus!" Seree screamed at Toni, who understood and nodded immediately. The rest of the students looked around in confusion, wondering what Seree meant by 'Double-decker bus'.

"Suicide style?" She called, flying towards Seree.

"Suicide style!" Seree replied, and raised her hands. Toni snatched the hands that Seree offered, and the two flew up in the air. "Toni! You know what to do!" Seree cried, and Toni nodded. She flapped her wings furiously, and the two picked up speed. "On my signal!" They neared the citizen, and Seree smiled grimly.

"Three... two..." The crowd began chanting, as was tradition when the last three seconds were counting down.

"Now!" Seree screamed, and Toni flung her towards the citizen. Seree grabbed the lifeless wooden doll, the rope snapping. She flew through the air, hitting the ground hard and skidding along the polished wood. She hit the gym wall with a sickening _thunk_, and lay in a crumpled heap, not moving. There was a hushed gasp from the crowd. Warren jolted in his seat, trying to prevent himself from screaming her name or running to help her. Toni sighed, smiling, and rolled her eyes. She banked right, and soared towards Seree. Landing gently, she went over to Seree's 'dead' body. Toni crouched down next to Seree, and the crowd saw her stir. There was an audible intake of breath from the students, and Seree slowly, painfully, got up. Toni seemed to tend her for a minute, then the two faced the students. They clasped hands, and raised them above their heads.

The crowd went wild.

"You always were one for dramatics," Toni whispered out of the side of her mouth to Seree.

"I can't help it, Tones," Seree replied, grinning wildly at the crowd. She caught sight of Warren, still in his seat while the others had jumped up. Seree thought it was just her imagination, but it looked like Warren was smiling at her. A small smile, but a smile none-the-less. Seree positively beamed at the crowd. Maybe Warren didn't hate her after all.


	8. Girl Talk

Sorry, this chapter's kinna short. First of all, thanks for the reviews (all _two_ of them!). They make me feel all fuzzy inside. Second of all, no, Toni is not a lesbian. She just likes joking with Seree. Third, next chapter I'll be explaining who Dom is, what he did to Seree, and what Seree did to save Toni. So don't get too impatient because I've kept Dom for a secret this long. I'll tell you next chapter. :0

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Toni took Seree home after school, holding Seree's wrists as she flew over the houses. Seree didn't mind; they had done it many times before, when they were children. Besides, with the wind rushing through your hair and the feeling that you were on top of everything, one could almost forget her problems.

Almost.

Toni steered towards the ground, and Seree's stomach lurched as the pavement rushed up to meet her.

"Toni! The ground! Brake,_ brake, BRAKE_!" Seree screamed, pulling her knees up to her chest in the effort to keep her feet from scraping along the ground.

Toni chuckled and landed gracefully, holding Seree like a baby. Seree was trembling and had her arms clutched around Toni's neck, staring doubtfully at the ground. "That never gets old," Toni said playfully to Seree, who shot her a look of anger.

"You suck," Seree mumbled, gently lowering herself onto the ground. Toni stuck her tongue out at Seree while her wings disappeared into her back, and Seree gently punched her in the shoulder. Toni whimpered and clutched her shoulder, pretending that the punch hurt. Seree gave a cry, smiling, and pounced on the other girl. The two tussled for a moment, rolling in the grass, before the sprinklers came on. Seree and Toni froze, glanced at each other, and ran screaming from the grass. They ran to the door, panting and dripping wet, and started laughing.

After a few minutes of laughing, Seree picked up her bag. "C'mon, Tones," she said to Toni, who picked up her own bag. "We have homework."

"Bleh, homework," Toni replied, sticking out her tongue. Seree giggled, and opened up the door to her house.

"Dad, Toni's going to be staying for a while!" Seree yelled, and heard a muffled grunt of assent from her father. Flashing Toni a thumbs-up, she tromped up the stairs. Toni followed, a bit less loud than Seree, and walked into Seree's room.

"I like what you've done with the place," Toni said, surveying the room. The walls were painted a dark red, and the bed's sheets matched the wall. A black laptop sat on a black desk, and sketchbooks were scattered around the room. Toni picked one up, and opened to the first page. It was a drawing of Warren, looking exactly like him. Every detail was down, from the color of his skin to the few strands of red hair. His mouth wasn't smiling, but Seree had managed to convey a feeling of affection through his eyes.

"That's Warren," Seree said, coming up from behind Toni.

"No, I couldn't tell," Toni replied sarcastically, studying the picture. "Done with pastels?"

"What else?" Seree answered, smiling slightly as she shrugged. "_Homework_, Toni!"

Toni screwed up her face in disgust and gently set the sketchbook down. The two immediately started on the homework, fooling around so much that it took more than two hours to finish. Finally, night fell, and Seree looked at the clock.

"Nine o' clock?" Seree cried, goggling at her electric alarm clock.

"Haha, we're so dumb. It took us six hours to finish our homework," Toni said, smiling widely at Seree.

Seree punched her lightly on the shoulder again. "No, _you're_ so dumb. It only took me this long because I was helping _your_ tiny brain figure it out!"

Toni gave a cry of anger and jumped up from the bed. "Oh, it's _on_, Pyro!" She screamed, and started chasing Seree. Seree dashed out the door and down the stairs, narrowly evading Toni's hands. She ran into the kitchen, and suddenly turned to Toni.

"Stop!" She said, throwing out her hand. Toni screeched to a halt, nearly impaling her face of Seree's hand. "We must eat."

"What d'you got?" Toni asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Spaghetti'o's and Vanilla Coke," Seree replied, tossing Toni a can of Vanilla Coke. Toni caught it deftly, and opened it. Seree rooted through the cupboard for some Spaghetti'o's. She found two cans, opened them with a can opener, and dumped them in a pot. She took the pot over to the table, and set it on her hand as she sat down. Her hand flared with heat, and she started cooking the Spaghetti'o's.

Soon the Spaghetti'o's were finished, and the two girls polished them off in a matter of minutes. Running back up the stairs, they began arguing about who gets first dibs on the shower.

"I should go first! I flew all the way over here because _you_ asked me to, so I deserve it!" Toni yelled, gesturing wildly with her hands. Seree crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Fine," she mumbled, her face dark with mock-anger.

"Unless you want to come with me!" Toni said, wiggling her eyebrows. Seree shoved her, and Toni pouted. "Fine then, be like that," she said, and took a quick shower.

She came out still drying her hair with a towel, sporting green pants printed with Nintendo 1-Up mushrooms on them and a tank-top with a 1-Up mushroom in the center. "It's all yours," she said, and Seree gave her a small smile. She took a fast shower, washing her hair and face at a fast pace. Soon she stepped out of the shower, and grabbed her pajamas. They were just baggy pants and a tank-top, like always.

Seree sat on her bed, and Toni sat behind her. Grabbing Seree's still-wet hair, Toni began braiding the auburn strands. "So," Toni began, making the braid small and neat. "Tell me what happened."

"Warren was in a bad mood, but I had told myself that I would tell him that day," Seree said, as still as a statue as Toni braided her hair. "So when we got off the bus, I said to him that I wanted to tell him something." Seree sighed, and Toni stopped braiding her hair. "No, keep going. Well, he told me to spit it out, and... I panicked. I told him that I had fallen in love with him, and he reacted harshly."

Toni's eyes were sad, but she still braided Seree's hair. She was nearing the middle of the braid, going faster to reach the end. "He... he said... he told me to stay away from him," Seree said, her voice trembling. "He told me... to never come near him again..." Seree's body began to shake, and tears spilled out of her green eyes. Toni tied off the braid, and spun Seree around to face her.

"What?" She asked, her eyes searching Seree's eyes.

"He... I _love_ him, Toni!" Seree cried, her tears flowing faster. She closed her eyes as tears leaked out, and Toni's eyes widened in sad surprise. "And now he might hate me, because I told him!" Toni threw her arms around Seree, gathering her in a comforting hug. Seree sobbed into her chest, and Toni made soothing sounds as she rubbed her back.

_Oh, my God, _Toni thought, her eyes wide and sad. _This is worse than Dom. _Seree cried for a long while, before she started talking again. "Maybe... maybe it would be better if I just... didn't exist," she sobbed, and Toni's eyes flashed. She grabbed Seree's shoulders and held her out at arm-length.

"No!" Toni said fiercely, shaking Seree slightly. "Don't talk like that, don't you _ever_ talk like that!" Seree sniffed, watching Toni with tortured eyes. "If _you_ hadn't existed, who would have saved _me_?" Toni screamed, her own eyes wet with emotion. Seree dissolved into tears, and Toni hugged her close again. She let a few tears drip out of her eyes, then took a deep, shaking breath.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," Toni said, holding Seree out again. She grasped Seree's face in her hands, and used her thumb to wipe away a tear. A sad smile played on Toni's lips, and Seree nodded. A watery smile grew onto Seree's face, and the tears slowed slightly.

"You're right," Seree whispered quietly, and Toni nodded.

The two then decided to settle down. Seree snuggled deep into her covers, and Toni took the other side of the bed. Toni reached up and turned the lamp off, washing the room in darkness. Twenty minutes passed, and Seree grew restless. A thousand questions bubbled up in her stomach, but she chose the best one she could think of to ask Toni.

"Toni?" Seree asked meekly, her voice small in the darkness of the room.

"Mm?" Toni replied, still not asleep.

"Do you think..." Seree began, then gulped. "Do you think that Warren could ever love me like I love him?"

Toni thought about her reply for a moment, then said, "I'm sure he will. I'll try to talk some sense into him tomorrow, okay?" Her voice was gentle, and Seree smiled.

"Okay," Seree answered, and almost immediately went to sleep. She was exhausted from crying, after all.

Toni waited for a moment, making sure that Seree was asleep. Then she levered herself up on her forearms, and looked at the sleeping girl. A slant of moonlight from Seree's window had fallen on her face; it made the girl look ethereal and beautiful. Toni gently stroked Seree's cheek, staring sadly down at her best friend. "It'll be alright... I hope," she whispered, and lay back down. She turned over, and fell asleep with the sounds of Seree's even breathing and crickets chirping in her ears.


	9. She was Healing

Mrr. Seree's past and how she connects with Toni is explained in this chapter. Some cussing, mention of sex. Deal with it. D: 

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The alarm clock bleeped loudly, shattering Seree's dream of she and Warren together. Seree groaned and rolled over, burrowing deeper into the covers. Suddenly, her mattress was flipped over. Seree tumbled out of bed, her arms flailing, and thudded onto the floor.

"Rise and shine!" Toni yelled, re-settling Seree's mattress into the correct position. Seree hissed loudly, her eyes flashing. "I know you're not a morning person, hun, but we gotta move." Toni pointed out the door, and Seree grudgingly got up. She dragged her feet through the door, and Toni picked out an outfit for her. Seree undressed slowly, and dressed just as slowly. Moving at the speed of a sloth, she got on her Australia hoodie, and was soon down the stairs.

Half-asleep, she sat at the kitchen table with a small grunt. However, the smell of cooking bacon soon woke her up. "Bacon?" She asked Toni, who smiled.

"Yup! Eat up, or we're gonna be late," Toni said, and Seree wolfed down the food. Grabbing her backpack, she called a hasty goodbye to her dad. She was out the door within thirty seconds, where Toni was impatiently waiting. "C'mon!" Toni cried, grabbing Seree's wrist.

"Fly or bus?" Seree asked, trying to keep up with Toni's sprint.

"Bus!" Toni called back, and the two barely made it to the bus stop on time. When the doors opened, Toni and Seree clambered onto the bus. They found an empty seat near the back, and sat down, Toni giving Seree the window seat. The two chatted and laughed the whole bus ride, even when the bus drove off the road into nothingness. All the other kids had gone silent during that time, and a few were even screaming. However, everyone could clearly hear Seree and Toni, being loud and obnoxious as usual.

When they disembarked at Sky High, Seree and Toni went to their first class. Toni's mother was a psychic, so she had manipulated the teacher and principle into thinking that Toni was a regular student. She had also managed to get them to put Toni in all of Seree's classes, next to Seree.

"No, Spider-man would totally kick Batman's butt and you know it!" Seree said loudly in Math class, and the teacher sniffed.

"Seree, would you like to tell us the answer to problem number thirty-four, please?" The teacher said, her voice like ice.

"3,554," Seree replied smoothly, not missing a beat. The teacher gaped at her, and Seree flashed her a brilliant smile.

Soon Math was over, and Toni and Seree breezed through the next two periods. Soon, it was lunch-time, where most of the interesting stuff happened. Toni and Seree found an empty table, and glared at anyone who tried to sit there. They talked and laughed for a while, before Toni saw an opportunity to talk to Warren. She glanced at Seree, and gestured with her head to where Warren was sitting. Seree's eyes grew wide with fear, and she shook her head slightly. Toni sighed, and Seree looked at Warren. A longing look grew in her eyes, and she finally looked back at Toni. Setting her jaw in a grim way, she gave Toni a small nod, and took out her book. Toni smoothly got up from the table, and walked over to where Warren was.

"So, I heard you totally ripped out Seree's heart when she told you she loved you," Toni began bluntly, sitting across from Warren.

Warren's eyes flicked up to her, and then back to his book. Toni growled, and slapped down Warren's book. "I'm talking to you," she said, eyes flashing a wild anger.

"Really?" Warren replied sarcastically, and Toni sighed. She ran her fingers through her hair, and looked back at Warren.

"She loves you so much, Warren," Toni said quietly, and Warren glanced back up at her. His eyes were suspicious, but underneath the doubt, Toni could see he wanted to hear more. "I can see it in the way she looks at you. Her eyes grow gentler, and she smiles and little." Toni stared at him, then said, "Why didn't you accept her?"

Warren sighed and shook his head. "I'm just not that kind of guy," he said flatly, his tone sullen.

"Not that kind of guy to what? To love someone?" Toni hissed vehemently, the anger in her eyes growing. She exhaled loudly, and leaned back. "You want to know how she got this way?" Toni suddenly asked, and Warren flicked his eyes to her.

"What do you mean?" He asked cautiously.

"How she got so angry, bitter, and hateful at the world. Do you want to know why?" Toni asked again, her eyes glittering. Warren stared at her for a moment, then nodded wordlessly. Toni took a deep breath, and launched into Seree's past.

"About five months ago, Seree knew a boy named Dominic, whom we called Dom. He was handsome, with long black hair, blue eyes, and a gorgeous smile. I can remember how Seree used to go on and on about him during our classes together. Finally, she was introduced to Dom by a friend of hers." Toni laughed slightly, her eyes misty with memories of the past.

"I had never seen her so nervous in my life. She kept on asking if her hair and make-up were alright, and kept smoothing out her clothes." Warren tried to imagine what it would look like if Seree were doing that, and found he could not.

"When she was finally face-to-face with him, she didn't look directly at him. She looked anywhere but. Finally, after about ten minutes of talking, she looked up at him. She saw his face, and the trap was sprung.

"She was caught.

"After that, she started obsessing over him more and more. She would talk about him to me all the time, and I quickly got sick of it. Finally, on a Friday, Dom asked her out. Seree agreed, and he took her out to a fancy restaurant. When they got back, she called me on the phone and practically exploded with happiness."

Toni looked out of the window, staring at the clouds. Warren knew better than to rush her; she was delving deep into her best friend's painful past, and it must be hurting her too.

"The two began going out regularly. Dom knew what he was doing; he took his time, saying he would always love her and never do anything to hurt her. He gave her presents, stuff like candies and teddy bears on Valentine's Day, and once he gave her a magnificent gold necklace. On the necklace was a heart that said 'I Love You'. Seree was falling deeper and deeper into his web of lies, and wrapped herself up in his proclaimed love. She had always yearned for somebody to love her, since her mother had died and her father hated her, so she practically threw herself at Dom. He got her to trust him, which she had done with no boy before.

"And then it happened.

"They had gone to the movies, and he had taken her to his house afterwards. They started kissing--" Toni made a face, "--and soon it got too far. Seree snapped out of her happy illusion, and told Dom to back off, told him that she wasn't ready.

"He screamed at her, and tried to force her into it. She fought against him tooth and claw, and finally, he gave up. He was walking out the door, saying that he was going to leave her, when she called out to him, 'I love you!' Dom had stopped, and went back to her."

Toni's expression suddenly grew thunderous, and her eyes flashed out an intense anger.

"He grabbed her hair, and said to him, 'Love? I could care less about your love. I was only in this for the sex.' Then he tossed her away, and walked out the door.

"He broke her heart. In my opinion, he ripped it out of her chest, but the more common term is 'broke her heart'. Anyways, it started to rain. She ran, all the way from his house, to mine. My house was about four block away. I opened the door to find her sopping wet, shivering, and crying. Her mascara was running down her face, and her shirt was in tatters. I let her in, and she told me everything.

"Her heart was in shambles from that day forward. Once, Dom had the nerve to say hi to her at lunch time, and she just broke down. Finally, her dad and my mom decided that both of our families would move to America, and see if Seree would fare better in the States."

Toni gave a small snort, and her expression of fury deepened.

"Actually, my mother made most of the arrangements. Seree was like a second daughter to her, and it hurt her heart to she her suffer so much. Her dad didn't give a damn.

"But anyways, she came here while I stayed a couple towns away. She gradually began to heal, vowing she would never look at another guy the same way until she was ready for another relationship, be it good or bad. She abandoned make-up, seeing as how it reminded her of that day, and stopped obsessing over boys. She was doing just fine, until now.

"Until she met you.

"She's fallen for you hard, and you didn't catch her. She loves you, Warren, but you just... brushed her off? Her heart's been broken twice, and the only thing that's keepin' her from going suicidal is _me_!" Toni cried, standing up suddenly. "But what happens when I leave? What happens when I go back home, and if she starts goin' insane?" Toni shook her head, and sat down slowly. "What happens then?" She whispered, her eyes piercing into his.

Warren shrugged, still deep in thought. _She's right, you know, _a small voice said, in the farthest reaches of his mind. _She's taken a big step from hating everything to loving you. Question is, will you heal her heart or make the wounds deeper? _Toni watched him, and decided to tell him something more about Seree.

"She saved me, you know," Toni said casually, and Warren looked up at her in surprise. "I was like her once. I had a guy whom I loved deeply, and he dumped me for another girl cause I wouldn't have sex with him. I was broken, and was going for the blade." Toni pulled up her sleeve and showed Warren the inside on her wrist. He could see pale white scars, crisscrossing each other and narrowly avoiding the large vein in the middle of her wrist. His eyes widened, and Toni nodded. She pulled her sleeve back down, and smiled bitterly at Warren.

"I told myself that if I were dead, then everyone would be happier. I would cut myself closer and closer to the vein, until finally, I said I would do it. I was going home, planning my death, when Seree came up from behind me and wrapped me up in a great big hug. 'Don't kill yourself,' she told me. 'I couldn't live without you,' she said, and I started to cry. I had long hair then, and I was one of those popular whores that you see running around here.

"However, Seree taught me to dance to the beat of my own drum. I cut my hair, and started acting crazy and wearing crazy things," Toni finished, and Warren quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Touching," he commented dryly before he could stop himself, and Toni shrugged.

"Whatever floats your boat," she replied, and was getting up to leave when she said to him, "She saved me. Maybe you need to be saved, too." She departed, leaving Warren in a stunned silence.

"How'd it go?" Seree asked, and Toni shrugged as she sat down.

"Only time will tell, chickadee," Toni replied, her eyes sad. Seree sighed, and looked down at her hands. Toni could see her blinking back tears, and when she raised her face, her eyes were moist.

"What if... what if he scorns me?" Seree asked, eyes panicked. She looked down at her hands again, and a sob wracked her body.

"Hey," Toni said, reaching out and grabbing Seree's chin. She lifted her chin gently, so that Seree was looking into Toni's eyes. "He'll come around." Seree nodded, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve. Toni smiled, and got up to leave. Seree followed suit, and with one last look at Warren, departed the cafeteria with Toni.

Some reviewer appreciation here:

**Devil's Daughter- **I'm updatin', I'm updatin'!

**Sister Sadist- **Thanks. I'm not particularly a fan of mushy gushy, and I hate it when stories are written horribly but the plot is good.

**Root-beer Girl- **Doesn't it drive you up the wall when you find a great fanfiction, but it only had one chapter and the author updates it reeeeaaallly slowly:D

**Janfl- **Thank you. And I'll update more, trust me.


	10. Birthday

I don't really like this chapter, but I think it's necessary to bring Seree and Warren closer together. I'll try to make the next chapter better, I promise.

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Seree flew home with Toni, and the two started chatting as soon as they hit the sidewalk. Toni opened the door and bowed, and Seree walked in with a fake curtsy. Bounding up the stairs, the two hopped on Seree's bed and started chattering away about anything. Toni carefully scooted the conversation around Warren and what he did; the last thing she needed was for Seree to get all weepy on her. The teachers had given barely any homework, and the girls had finished it on the flight home. Soon the conversation drifted to Seree supposedly keeping pictures of naked guys in her room. Toni began searching the drawers and bed, and found something very interesting.

Pulling out a book she had found, Toni read the cover. "_How to Make Love Like a Porn Star_? What the hell?" She asked, quirking her eyebrow at Seree.

"Shuttup!" Seree cried, grabbing for the book, blushing madly. Toni started laughing, clutching her stomach with one hand and the book with the other.

"Where did you_ get_ this?" She asked, wiping tears from her eyes.

"It was gift," Seree said, and Toni's eyes glittered.

"Oh? From_ who_?" She asked, elbowing Seree and winking. Seree looked away, still blushing.

"Warren," she muttered, so quietly that Toni didn't hear her.

"I can't _hear_ you!" Toni sang, clutching the book to her chest.

"It was Warren, okay?" Seree cried, snatching the book.

"Ew, not okay," Toni replied, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"It was a sick joke. He gave it to me the first week, and he said--" Seree made her voice go deeper, and made her chest swell out, "--'Here. God knows you need it!' I promptly whacked him over the head with it, but I must have kept it and forgotten about it." Seree's chest deflated, and she went back to her normal self.

"You should give it back, and say to him, 'Here. You need it more!'" Toni said, making her voice squeak in an imitation of Seree. Seree made a swipe for her hair, but Toni ducked away, laughing.

Seree looked down at the book for a moment, and said quietly, "You know I can't face him, Tones." Toni stopped laughing, and sighed sadly.

"I know, hun. Maybe..." Toni thought for a moment, chewing her bottom lip and staring at the ceiling. "I know! Drop it off at his house when he's working!" Seree pondered this, her expression one of deep thought.

"Okay!" Seree said brightly, and tromped down the stairs. "Toni! Make me a sammich while I'm there!" She called, and Toni flashed her a thumbs-up. Seree marched out the door with her head held high, then darted around the corner of the house. She tried to quell the nauseous feeling in her stomach; she seriously doubted she could do this. _C'mon, Seree, _she thought, taking a deep breath. _You can do this. Just drop off the book, and leave. It's not like he'll be there. _Seree nodded, and took another deep breath. She raised her chin, and started walking in the direction of Warren's house.

Soon she spotted the familiar house, and started up the walkway. Quashing the urge to turn tail and run, she marched right up to the door and knocked loudly. Expecting Warren's mother, or maybe even Warren, she was completely surprised by who opened the door.

The little girl who had hugged Warren clutched the door handle, her face grubby with something that looked like chocolate. She stared up at Seree with piercingly blue eyes; Seree felt herself shiver under the stare.

"Tori? What is it, baby?" A voice called, and Seree relaxed as she recognized the voice of Warren's mother.

"It's Warry's girlfriend!" Tori squealed, her pudgy face breaking into a warm smile. Seree blushed scarlet, forbidding her mind to probe deeper into the phrase. Warren's mother appeared, scooping the small child up into her arms.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Whilde," Warren's mother said, smiling gently at the girl. Her eyes were a deep chocolate color; Seree saw them soften into a smile that matched her mouth.

"I-I'm terribly sorry for intruding like this, Mrs. Peace, but--" Seree was stopped as Warren's mother held up her hand, signaling for her to cease.

"Please, call me Astrael," Warren's mother said, her smile widening, and Seree goggled at her.

"Alright, but only if you call me Seree," Seree replied, before she could stop herself. Her hands flew to her mouth at the realization of what she said. What if she had offended this strangely mysterious, beautiful woman who was Warren's mother?

But Astrael gave a chuckle; she seemed to find Seree's blunder endearing. "As you wish," she said, her eyes twinkling. "What is your reason for coming to my humble home, Seree?" She asked, and Seree could sense a razor-sharp presence underneath the musical voice of hers.

"Like I said, I'm terribly sorry for intruding, but Warren left his book with me," Seree said, briefly flashing the book at Astrael. She carefully kept the title hidden; she didn't want her to see what the book was about.

"I see," Astrael said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The girl that was standing before her was perfect for Warren: gentle, kind, and strong. Astrael could sense her personality leaking out of her being, and she smiled a bit wider at the girl. "Well, if you'd like, you could put it up on his bed." She stepped back from the door, and Seree tentatively stepped inside. She walked softly through the hall, and shot Astrael a pleading look.

"It's the second door on the right," she called, cradling Tori in her arms. Seree nodded, and slowly went up the stairs. She went down the hall, slightly trembling from the darkness at the other end. She was walking along when a gleam on the wall caught her eye. She turned, trying to see what it was, and found herself looking at Warren.

She almost screamed, then looked more closely. It was a photograph, and it wasn't of Warren. It looked a lot like him, though, and Seree tentatively touched the picture. The man in the photo had dark, forbidding eyes, and features much like Warren's. Seree traced the lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Warren, not the man in the photo.

She shook her head, snapping herself out of the trance she had fallen in. With a final glance at the photo, she continued along the hall to Warren's room.

It was a typical boy's room, with dirty clothes tossed haphazardly around. In a little corner of the room, there were art supplies scattered about. Seree didn't venture near that corner; being an artist herself, she knew how much it would irritate Warren if she went through his art without permission. Seree went over to his bed, which was unmade at the moment, and set the book in the middle of the bed. She surveyed the room, noting how it looked as if a cyclone had swept through the place. Her fingers itched with the desire to straighten it out, but she took a deep breath and was preparing to leave when something caught her eye.

It was a flash of red against the white wall that had caught her attention. Seree moved across the floor, carefully treading around the clutter and mess. She finally got to the opposite wall, and saw, on the day that was tomorrow, red words spelling out, 'My Birthday'. Seree read the words once, then read them twice. _He didn't say anything, _she thought, and then mentally smacked herself. _Duh! Because you two haven't been talking! _

Seree retreated out of the room, gently closing the door. She walked swiftly out of the door, calling a quick goodbye to Astrael, and broke into a sprint. She arrived at the door breathless and smiling unconsciously.

"Toni!" She cried, leaping up the stairs.

"What?" Toni called back, her tone bored.

"His birthday! Tomorrow's his birthday!" Seree almost screamed, grabbing Toni by the shoulders. Toni gave forth a small yelp, then raised an eyebrow angrily at Seree.

"Lemme guess: tomorrow's Warren's birthday, so you want to do something for him even though you two are basically ignoring each other?" Toni asked, a smirk playing upon her lips. Seree nodded, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Toni couldn't say no to the look on her face, and finally sighed. She rolled her eyes and nodded, and Seree's smile grew wider.

"Let's bake him a cake!" Seree said, and Toni groaned.

"You remember the last time we tried to do that? My kitchen was never the same!" Toni yelled, gesturing towards the kitchen with her hands.

"Yeah, but you were the one who started it. I told you not to put the gas up that high," Seree said matter-of-factly, her eyes mischievous.

Toni tried to argue with Seree, but the girl remained steadfast in her decision. Soon, Toni gave up. "Fine! I'll help you!" Toni cried, throwing her hands up in the air. Seree laughed, and began gathering ingredients for the cake.

"Should it be white cake with chocolate frosting, or lemon cake with white frosting?" Seree asked, eyeing the two Betty Crocker mixes.

"Go for the original. White cake with chocolate frosting all the way, baby," Toni said, leaning against the counter. Seree gathered the supplies, and the began to bake.

Seree had to frequently smack Toni's hands with her spoon to keep her from sticking her fingers in the batter; likewise, Toni had to guard the frosting. Soon, after many sore hands and batter splashes, the two managed to get the cake baked.

Seree frosted one side while Toni did the other, and finally, the cake neared being finished. "Now for the words," Seree said, holding out her hand. Toni slapped a tube of red frosting into her open palm, and she started scrawling out the words 'Happy Birthday, Warren' on the cake. After a few more finishing touches, the cake was finally done.

Seree and Toni stepped back, looking at their work. The cake looked good, even pretty, and Seree smiled happily. "We need to get him a birthday card," Toni said quietly, and Seree nodded. Toni seemed to magically produce a piece of paper from thin air, but Seree knew she had been hiding it somewhere.

"Alrighty, Tones, you know what to do!" Seree said, smiling.

"You got it," Toni replied, grabbing a pencil. She began to draw out the words 'Happy Birthday', making them intricate and detailed against the white paper. Seree went up to her room while she was doing this, and grabbed some red and black pastels. Going back down the stairs, she waited until Toni was finished. Seree took over from there.

Using long, thin strokes of her pastels, she alternated the letters from black to red. She worked for about an hour, and finally they were done. She opened the inside, and asked for a pen. The two girls stared at the blank inside, at a loss for what to write. They thought and thought, until Toni had an idea.

"I know what to write..." she said, grabbing the pen. Seree sat back and watched what she wrote, then started to giggle. Toni also started to laugh, and the two were soon guffawing at what Toni wrote in the card.

The next day, the two were completely inconspicuous. They didn't glance at Warren for the entire day, and kept their minds focused on something else entirely.

Warren, on the other hand, had his mind focused on Seree.

An ache had grown in his chest over the few days she hadn't talk to him; he was deeply regretting being so harsh to her the day she told him she loved him. He needed to talk to her about it, and maybe, just maybe, he would let the sleeping feelings in his heart awaken. With a jolt, he realized that he missed the girl. Her voice, her eyes, her smiles... he missed her deeply. He decided with an iron determination to talk to her about it during school. However, she was always by Toni, and she didn't go near him.

Finally, the last bell rang. Warren trudged across the grass, and caught sight of Seree standing near Toni. Toni was re-forming her wings, and Seree was looking off in the distance. Warren broke out into a mild jog, trying to get to her. But Toni's wings formed before he could get to her; she grabbed Seree around the waist this time, and the two took off. "Seree!" Warren called, reaching the edge of the school. But she was gone.

Warren cursed his bad luck, and got on the bus in a horrible mood. He growled at a girl who tried to sit next to him, and smoke started to emit from his arms. The girl backed away with wide, frightened eyes, and Warren smirked. He got off the bus, and walked half-heartedly home. He changed into his work uniform, and went to work.

Around nine o' clock, he got home. He went into his house, taking out his hair tie. His hair fluttered down, and he ran his fingers dejectedly through it. He was going up the stairs when a flicker of yellow met his eye. Warren turned his head to see a yellow glow coming from the kitchen. His arms started to smoke, and he cautiously went down the stairs. He waited a minute at the wall, then leapt into the kitchen doorway with a loud, "HA!"

There was nothing there, except for a dark shape on the table. It seemed to have... candles, sticking out of it? He walked over to said shape, and leaned over the table to look at it.

It was a birthday cake.

Warren blinked in surprise, and took a seat at the kitchen table. It had chocolate frosting, and messy, scrawling red words written across it: 'Happy Birthday, Warren'. Warren recovered from his surprise, and searched for a card. He found one, and looked at the beautiful words across the front, done in red and black. It was another 'Happy Birthday'. He opened the card, and read the message.

_Happy Birthday, dude._

_Delivered from somebody who's RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE AND IF YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUR THEN YOU'RE A LEWZER HAHA!_

Warren couldn't contain his laughter; the message in the card was funny, he had to give them that. He stopped laughing. Who was 'them'? Who had cared enough to bake him a cake, and give it to him on his birthday? He was about to call for his mom when he stopped. His mother would never write something like that in a card. He ran his finger over the letters on the front. Pastels. This person is an artist, has a sense of humor, and... Warren cut a piece of the cake out, and sampled it. And a really good cook.

He began to wrack his brain, wondering who had given it to him. His mother was a definite no, she was far too polite for the message in the card. Mei Ling? He hadn't told her about his birthday, and she couldn't bake a cake for anything. His siblings? ...Okay, no. That was the dumbest guess he had come up with. Suddenly, it was as if a lightbulb had gone on in his head.

_Seree. _

But why? She's not talking to me, and she's not...

_She still loves you._

Warren stared at the cake, from the pastel-made words to the messy script on the cake. He sighed, his heart burning with guilt. She was willing to do all this for him, even though he had been so cruel to her.

That was it. The last straw on the camel's back. He was going to swallow his pride and tell her something he had figured out a few days after they had met:

He loved her, too.


	11. Liquid Fire

This chapter kinna short. And thank for the reviews, everybody! …Warren ate his cake, too, if anyone's wondering.

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Seree sighed as she turned over in her sleep. A thousand questions were running through her mind: _Would Warren like the cake, or would he hate it? Would he eat it, or throw it away? _Seree shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Tomorrow was another day at school, and she needed sleep.

_Another day at school? You mean another day of ignoring Warren._

Shut up, brain. I need sleep.

_Yeah, right. How many times have you gone without any sleep and woken up fine?_

I don't wanna talk about it. Now leave me alone.

Seree groaned and rolled over, closing her eyes in an attempt to sleep. She was nodding off when an unfamiliar voice whispered in her mind. It was soft, and quiet, but it was there.

_Go to the Paper Lantern tomorrow. He'll be waiting for you there, whether he knows it or not._

Seree's eyes shot open, and she looked around. There was nobody there. She looked around warily, before settling back into her covers. She didn't know whether or not she would go, but the memory of the voice echoed in her mind: _He'll be waiting for you there. _Seree closed her eyes, and dropped off within a few seconds.

_That alarm clock is_ really _starting to get annoying_, Seree thought as the electronic beeps sounded again and again. Each beep made her want to grind her teeth, until finally she got up. She hit the snooze button, and shuffled into the shower room. Toni was already downstairs and cooking, she could see, as wonderful smells wafted into the bathroom. Seree's mouth watered throughout the whole shower, and she got out quickly. She dried herself off and pulled on her clothes, unconsciously dressing nice.

"Ah, you're up!" Toni said, wearing a big smile.

"It should be illegal for you to be_ this_ cheerful _this_ early," Seree grumbled to her, but her mood slightly lifted as Toni set a couple buttermilk pancakes on her plate.

Seree devoured the pancakes quickly, and she gathered her things. Toni followed her, and Seree decided that they would fly. Toni readily agreed, clasping her arms around Seree's waist, and the two were immediately soaring towards Sky High. They disembarked gracefully, and started chattering away as they walked to first period.

The school day was the same: do the classwork, avoid Warren, hope that you wouldn't get picked in Save the Citizen. However, the rest of the day was going to be far from normal.

Seree asked Toni to fly her home, and Toni replied, "Do you even need to ask?" Seree chortled, and the two flew home. The girls did their homework, until Seree glanced at the clock. "Seven o' clock. I'll leave around eight," she mumbled dreamily, and Toni looked up from her math. Seree's eyes had glazed over, and she was staring at the clock with a weird, dreamy expression. Toni waved her hand in front of Seree's face. No reaction.

"Seree! Yo, Seree!" Toni called, snapping her fingers in front of Seree's face. Seree snapped out of her reverie, and looked confused for a moment.

"I'm sorry... what?" Seree asked, blinking rapidly.

"What are you doin', having a naughty daydream?" Toni asked, rolling on her back and eyeing Seree.

"What the-- ew, NO!" Seree cried, slapping Toni lightly on the shoulder. A blush had appeared on her cheeks.

"Then what was that all about?" Toni inquired, rolling back onto her stomach.

"A voice told me, yesterday night, that I should go to the Paper Lantern. That _he_ would be waiting for me there," Seree explained, and Toni raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mmn. Whatever, as long as_ he _doesn't take advantage of you. If _he_ does, I'll kill him," Toni said, closing her eyes and resting her chin on her crossed forearms.

"I don't think he'll do that," Seree replied, leaning back.

Toni's eyes opened slightly, and she glanced up at Seree. "Who are we talking about again?" She asked, her voice hazy from exhaustion. The constant flights of taking Seree to and from school had finally taken their toll.

"Warren," Seree replied, and scooped Toni up in her arms. "You're worn out, Tones. Get some sleep." She gently laid Toni on the bed, and draped the covers over her.

"But... you... Warren... you gonna be alright?" Toni asked, fighting to stay awake.

"Yes, Tones. I swear," Seree replied, stroking her friend's hair. Toni mumbled something, and finally fell into a deep sleep.

Seree gazed down at Toni with a fondness in her eyes, and glanced at the clock. Although it was only 7:15, Seree decided to leave. She got a brown coat, and slipped her arms through the sleeves. She opened the door, and heard a foggy, "Good luck!" Seree smiled, and closed the door gently. She began to walk down the cold streets, pulling her jacket tighter around herself.

Soon, the neon glare of the sign saying 'The Paper Lantern' reflected in her eyes. She stood in front of the doors, wondering if she should go inside or not. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she grabbed the handle and pulled, and entered the small restaurant.

She inhaled the scent of Chinese food, and the tinkling Chinese music slightly calmed her frazzled nerves. A pretty Chinese woman, the one Seree recognized as the woman who yelled at Warren when she was crying, came up to her. "Table for... two, please," Seree said politely, and the Oriental woman nodded.

"This way," she said, her voice bubbly and full of laughter. Seree's eyes flashed confusion for a second, then went back to their normal, stony state. She was led to a booth on the wall of the restaurant, near the middle of the row of other booths. She sat down with a small word of thanks to the woman, and leaned back.

_I know he works here, _Seree thought, eyes searching for Warren, _so where is he? _She gave up after ten minutes of looking, and squirmed in her seat. She wanted to jump up and scream, "Warren! I'm right here and I'm ALL YOURS!" But common sense forbade her to do so, so she resigned herself to reading the menu over and over. Finally, the Oriental woman who had led her to the booth came over with a writing pad in her hand.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked, and Seree sighed, shaking her head.

"No, thank you. I'll wait for a little while longer," Seree replied, and the Oriental woman nodded.

Twenty minutes passed, and Warren still didn't show up. Finally, after another twenty minutes passed, the Oriental woman returned bearing a plate of sweet and sour chicken, and a Coke. She set the plate on the table, and Seree looked up in surprise. "Here," she said, sitting across from Seree. "It's on the house."

"No, no, I couldn't! I can't take the food, I haven't paid for it!" Seree protested, but Mei Ling insisted. "You might get in trouble," Seree said lamely, and Mei Ling smiled gently.

"I'm on break. My name is Mei Ling, by the way," Mei Ling said, extending her hand. Seree shook the hand, surprised at how strong the grip was.

"Seree," she mumbled, and Mei Ling's eyes scrunched up in mirth.

"So you're the one the Peace boy upset a while ago!" Mei Ling said, picking up some chopsticks. She picked up a piece of chicken, and put it in her mouth.

"No, Warren didn't upset me! I just... had a bad day, is all," Seree said quickly, grabbing a fork and viciously stabbing a piece of chicken. She ate it slowly, with Mei Ling staring a her.

"You like him, don't you?" Mei Ling asked, and Seree choked on her chicken. She coughed for a moment, then took a sip of the Coke.

"What? Is it that obvious?" Seree asked, cringing slightly.

"No, not really. I just guessed," Mei Ling answered, and Seree breathed a sigh of relief. She looked around, then behind her. She leaned in, beckoning Mei Ling to do so too.

"Can you keep a secret?" Seree asked, and Mei Ling nodded, perplexed. "I love him, a lot. But he burned me-- not literally --when I told him I loved him. But he smiled at me a couple days ago, and now I'm not sure what to do."

Mei Ling leaned back, and ate another piece of chicken. "Well," she began, taking a straw out of her apron and sticking it in Seree's soda. She bent her straw to signify that it was hers, and took a sip of the soda. "I think he likes you too."

"How can you tell? He's so... introverted," Seree said, her eyes wide.

"Well, the night he hugged you," Mei Ling said, eyes dancing with laughter, "he came back into the kitchens, and he was smiling. He even began to whistle. I'd never seen him so happy before."

Seree's eyes were wide, and Mei Ling smiled. "But he's not working tonight. If you want to talk to him, you're going to have to go to his house," Mei Ling said, and Seree nodded. She began to get up out of the booth, and Mei Ling handed her a box, where she had just put the chicken. "Take it!" She said, and Seree gave a small salute.

She was walking out the door, turning to say goodbye to Mei Ling, when she bumped into someone. She was about to give that someone a scathing tongue-lashing, when she saw his face.

It was Warren.

Seree's mouth dropped open, and Warren's eyes widened. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Warren managed to gather his wits.

"Can I... talk to you outside?" Warren asked Seree, who nodded. As she was following Warren out, she caught sight of Mei Ling. Mei Ling smiled and winked, and Seree managed a small smile in return.

Warren led her to where the street light shone upon the pavement, and turned to face her.

"Look, Seree, I'm... really sorry about what I said to you, when you..." He gulped. Seree could see he was nervous.

"I understand. It still doesn't change what I said," Seree replied icily, shaking her head. She looked up at Warren, peering at him through her thick eyelashes. "I love you, Warren. Nothing will even change that. But if you don't want to get involved... if you don't do relationships... I'm fine with that." Seree shrugged, and was turning to go when Warren caught her arm.

"Wait, Seree," he commanded, and she looked back over her shoulder to him. He could see in her eyes that saying what she had just said was torturing her inside, but she was planning to live through it. A vision of Seree as Toni had described to him-- wet, shivering, mascara running down her face, and heartbroken-- flashed across his mind, and he turned her towards him. Suddenly he enveloped her in a hug, and she gasped. He could feel her tense up, as if waiting for something bad to happen.

"Likewise," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine.

"L-love?" Seree choked out, and he nodded. " I thought you didn't--"

He placed a finger on her lips, smiling softly at her. "For you, I'll make an exception," he said, and Seree's eyes overflowed with tears. She threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely. It could have been her imagination, but Warren's heart was beating rapidly. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she broke away to look into his eyes.

His dark eyes were conveying a small feeling of affection, and Seree knew that he didn't take love lightly. Seree took his face in her hands, smiling at him through her tears. Warren suddenly leaned in, and pressed his lips against hers.

A warmth surged through Seree's body, as if liquid fire had been poured into her veins. It was the most gentle kiss she had ever experienced, and she cherished every moment of it. Warren finally pulled away, and Seree stared at him. He shrugged, smiling. "I was in the heat of the moment," he said simply, and Seree laughed. She hugged him again, and inhaled his scent of leather and Chinese food. He stroked her hair, and she thought, _Oh, yeah. I'll be alright now. _

Around the corner of a building, someone watched the two cuddle. "She will do," it said, the voice that came from it's lips scratchy and rasping. "Yes, she will do nicely." It gave a small, triumphant laugh, and took off into the night.


	12. IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: READ

Okay. A couple important matters need to be addressed, so as to make the story less confusing for you, my dear readers. The first, I had already thought out, but the second… took me completely by surprise (BECAUSE I R SMART LIKE THAT HAHA)

First one: Some of you may be thinking, 'Hey, where's Will, Layla, Zach, Magenta, and Ethan?' Well, before I started the story I decided that it would take place _before _Will and Co. arrive. I have plans to tie Seree into the movie's events, so don't worry. Will and Co. will appear in the story, I swear.

Second one: A very perceptive person told me that wouldn't Seree be Warren's half-sister, since both their fathers are Baron Battle? I had not thought of that, SO! I, being the author and being amazing, have decided to change the plot around. It is as so: Although Seree's mother _was_ raped by Baron Battle, her husband (Seree's now father) had been 'making love' to her before that battle. So, the two didn't know if it was his child or Baron's child. Seree's now father made the assumption that it was Baron's kid, but for the sake of this story, let's say it's not. Seree's now father is Seree's real father, but the two never got a DNA test, so they thought it was Baron's kid.

Need a simpler explanation?

Seree's mother was raped by Baron Battle, but her now father had been screwing her before the battle, so Seree's now father is her biological father. Capiche? And the next chapter will be going up shortly.


	13. Preparations

Mm… pretty proud of this chapter. Warren and Seree make a good couple, no?

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The next day at school, nothing had changed. The freaks drifted with the freaks, the popular people tried to break apart other popular people, and the others just... milled about.

Well... almost nothing had changed.

Seree was bored throughout the first three periods, talking a bit with Warren and doodling in her notebook. Toni was staying home to rest, and Seree had taken the bus. When lunch rolled around, Seree heaved a sigh of relief. She trotted down the halls to find Warren, but couldn't catch up with him. Her eyes flickered with sadness for a moment, until she saw him sitting at his table.

"Hey," she said, plopping down next to him.

He nudged a small carton of pudding towards her, complete with a plastic spoon. "I saved some pudding for you," he said, and Seree gave him a small smile.

"Thanks," she replied, and stopped herself from giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Warren?" She asked, and he looked up at her. She ate a spoonful of pudding, then asked, "Would you abhor being kissed on the cheek in public?"

"It depends. Who's the one doing the kissing?" He asked, smirking at her.

Seree gave him a playful nudge. "You know who, stupid!" She said, her tone laughingly happy.

"Mm... how much would you pay me?" He asked, leaning forward and opening his hand.

"Fine, I won't!" Seree cried, throwing her arms up in the air and rolling her eyes. Warren smiled at her, and briefly kissed her on the cheek. A faint blush crept up onto Seree's cheeks; a smile played upon her lips. "Aw," Seree said, eyeing him from the corners of her eyes. He grinned at her, and she shoved him.

They both had PE next, and sat a little bit away from the other students. Lash chose Seree ("Big surprise," Seree muttered to Warren), and Speed chose Warren ("Didn't see that one coming!" Warren replied sarcastically, and Seree smiled). The two trudged down the stairs, Warren holding the tips of Seree's fingers. There were a few whispers, and when they got down to the gym floor, Seree asked, "I thought you wanted to 'maintain a tough guy image'?" Warren shrugged.

"Like before, for you I'll make an exception," he replied, smirking. Seree blushed slightly, and nodded.

"Let's do this thing," Seree said, smiling maniacally. "I've got Lash."

"Then Speed is mine," Warren said, his arms smoking. "Hey."

Seree glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. "What?"

"Be careful." Seree was caught completely off-guard by the simple affection in the phrase, and stood stock-still when the whistle blew. "Get going!" Warren hissed to her, and she nodded.

They won in about 45 second's time, working as the best team in the period so far. They seemed to know what each other was thinking, and would move or attack according to one another. Seree didn't lose control and go completely wacko like last time, but almost set Boomer on fire. She had grinned sheepishly at Boomer, who had growled at her.

At the end of the day, Warren lost track of Seree. She snuck up behind him, and used her hands to cover his eyes. "Guess who?" She sang, and Warren smiled despite himself.

"My mom," Warren answered, and Seree laughed.

"Oh, stop joking around. You know who it is," she replied, but he could tell she was smiling by her tone of voice.

"Let's see... the most beautiful, charming, and powerful girl I've ever known?" Warren asked, gently lifting Seree's hands from his eyes. He turned to her to find her blushing slightly. She seemed to do that a lot while in his company.

"You flatter me," Seree said, her eyes twinkling.

"Hardly," he replied, hugging her tightly. She smiled up at him, and he smiled back.

The bus ride home was uneventful, and Seree asked Warren if he could come over to her house.

"Well, I don't have work today, and my mother likes you... I'll have to check with my numerous other girlfriends, though!" Warren said, wiggling his eyebrows. Seree punched him lightly in the shoulder, and he made a hurt face at her.

"Oh, you're such a baby," she said, but she couldn't keep a smile from creeping onto her face. Warren walked home, Seree following in his wake, and stuck his head in the door of his house.

"Mooom!" He called, obviously waiting for an answer.

There was nothing. Not even the thumps of his siblings rushing down the stairs to meet him.

"Mom?" Warren called again, and Seree thought she heard a trace of fear in his voice. She didn't blame him; there was something definitely wrong with the house. Normally, it was ringing with the noise of Warren's brothers and sisters, or of his mother reading them a story. Only dead silence reached Seree's ears, no matter how hard she strained them to hear something. The house was dark and quiet, and of all the times she visited, Seree knew the house was never like this.

"Something's wrong," she whispered to Warren. He nodded.

"The house is never this quiet. Even when Mom is out, she normally leaves Andy and Marie behind," Warren replied quietly, and Seree could see something strange in his eyes.

Fear.

Seree gulped. If _Warren_ was afraid, it must be bad. However, logic took over. _This isn't a normal situation, _her logical side said. _His family is missing. Anyone, even the bravest man, would be scared. _Seree nodded, appeased a bit by this, but the fear in her own stomach didn't lessen. Seree once again tried to hear something, and caught a small noise.

She whipped her head around, eyes scrutinizing the floors and walls. There. A whimper, coming from upstairs. Seree motioned for Warren to follow her up the stairs, and Warren obeyed. Seree was completely silent, even though the stairs were wood and she was wearing heavy shoes. Suddenly there was a bang, and a door flew open. Seree could see the kids cowering against the wall, the two oldest trying to protect the others. A dark shape with shadows encasing it's hands was advancing upon them, and blind instinct took over Seree's mind.

With all the speed and ferocity of a lioness protecting her cubs, Seree charged down the hall and rammed the dark shape with her shoulder. It gave a small cry of surprise, and smashed against the wall. Seree crouched in front of the kids, her hands igniting. Warren followed close behind, and stood next to Seree. Flames covered his arms up to his elbows, and his dark eyes were filled with a cold fury.

The thing that Seree attacked looked like a man. He had long, black hair, tied into a loose ponytail, and bright blue eyes. His facial features were sharp yet handsome, and he had a well-muscled body. He smirked at Warren and Seree, and seemed to melt. A puddle of flesh-colored stuff formed onto the floor, and Warren made a sound of disgust. The puddle then re-shaped itself into a falcon, and flew out of the open window.

Tori gave a piercing cry, and clutched at Seree's legs. Seree bent down on her knees, gathering Tori up into a comforting hug. "What was that?" She asked Warren, who was busy soothing the other three children. She picked up Tori, who was trembling with fear, and held her close to her chest.

"I'm not sure," Warren answered, and one of the oldest, Andy, started tugging on his sleeve. Warren looked down expectantly, and Andy's expression of deep fear unnerved Seree.

"Warry! They took mother!" Andy cried, and Seree gasped.

"What?" Warren yelled, and Andy cringed. Seree bent down, still holding Tori, and made soothing sounds to the boy.

"Tell us what happened," she asked softly, and Andy nodded.

"We were sitting in the living room, and Mother was reading us a book. Then the wall started to shiver really weirdly, and a man walked through. Mother told us to go upstairs, and that she would 'take care' of him. Then we heard Mother scream--" Andy's face grew even more frightened, if that were possible. "-- and the man came up the stairs to get us. He was going to do bad things to us, and then you guys came."

"Thank God we made it in time," Seree whispered, looking up at Warren. Warren nodded, and made a sudden decision.

"Seree, we're going to go after her," Warren said shortly, his eyes blazing with fury and determination. Seree looked up, and nodded without question.

"Who's going to watch the kids?" Seree asked, and Warren shook his head.

"I don't know," he mumbled, and Seree snorted. She rolled her eyes, and stood up, still holding Tori.

"Toni will, whether you like it or not," Seree said, her expression mulish. Warren gazed at her, and grunted in consent.

Seree carried Tori in her arms and another kid on her back all the way to her house. "Okay, kiddo," Seree grunted, levering the kid gently off her back, trying not to lose her balance. "C'mon. Auntie Toni will take care of you." The kids nodded, their eyes still wide from fear. Seree opened the door, and was met by her angry father.

"Seree, you good-for-nothing whore! Where have you been?" Her father screamed, and Seree cringed. Tori gave a small squeak in fear, and Seree swallowed.

"Out of the way, Dad," Seree said, trying to push past her father. He wouldn't budge. "Dad, please. It's urgent." He growled and struck her across the face. Warren gave a yell, but couldn't get to Seree because the doorway was blocked with her and his siblings.

Her head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, and her bangs fell into her eyes. Tori screamed, and her father caught sight of the child. "What the-- I'll not have any more kids in my house!" He roared, and made a grab for Tori.

Quick as a cobra, Seree twisted her body away from him. Her eyes smoldered into his; she would let her father abuse her, but Tori was out of the question. Heat began to radiate from her body, not affecting her and Tori but making her father sweat.

"Step _down_, old man," Seree said through gritted teeth, her pupils steadily turning orange. "Do _not_ make me hurt you."

Her father turned an ugly purple color, but he stepped aside. Seree glared death at him as she walked by, and gracefully ascended the stairs. Warren kept well out of range of her father; he didn't need his anger flaring up now. Seree immediately ran into her room, and the heat around her disappeared.

"Toni! We need your help!" She cried, setting Tori down on her bed.

"Ah, the happy couple," Toni said, sitting up in bed. "What? Four kids _already_? How long have I been _out_?"

"Toni, no time for jokes. Warren's mother's been kidnapped, and we're going to go get her. Could you please watch his brothers and sisters?" Seree asked, her eyes pleading. Toni looked from her to Warren. She nodded wordlessly, face grim. Seree gave a sigh of relief, and briefly hugged her friend. "Thanks, Tones." Toni smiled at her.

"Good luck," Toni said, flashing the two a thumbs-up.

"Keep the door locked," Seree replied, and she and Warren were out the door.

They passed her father, who was sulking in his chair with a beer in hand, and walked out of the door. "Crap! I almost forgot it!" Seree cried, running back into her house. Warren watched her go, confused, until she came out carrying a bag. "Battle supplies," she explained, and Warren smiled at her.

"Better safe than sorry?" Warren asked, and Seree nodded.

The two walked in silence before Warren inquired, "Is your dad always like that?"

Seree nodded. "I'm used to it," she replied, and Warren gave her a disturbed look.

"Somehow, that doesn't reassure me," he said softly, and Seree chuckled.

"Aw, I can just repel him with my fire. I'm fine," Seree said, shoving him softly. He smiled slightly at her, and she grinned back.

Warren went into his house to suit up, Seree following in his wake. He went up into his room, and searched for clothes suitable for the upcoming battle. He chose a black muscle shirt and black jeans, along with his black leather jacket. He wrapped a hair tie around his wrist, just in case, and looked for anything else. He had his fingerless gloves, of course, and his iron-toed boots. Everything was in order for the fight to come.

Seree went into another room to change, and unzipped her bag. She smiled grimly as she unloaded her supplies. She had a pair of black boots with blades hidden in the toes, and a knife-belt if she got too tired to use her powers. She took out her skin-tight black tank-top, and her form-fitting black leather pants. Underneath the tank-top was a chain-mail shirt, designed to stop bullets and many other things. She slipped a pair of black and red gloves onto her hands, and hunted for her most important item: her iPod.

Finally, she found the little white iPod, and smiled widely. She clipped the iPod onto her belt, and hunted for her favorite playlist. It included songs from the Beatles, the Gladiator Soundtrack, the Blade Trinity soundtrack, the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack, and many others. She rested the headphones around her neck, prepared to put them in her ears when they started to fight. She checked everything, making sure she had all of her supplies. Finally, she walked out the door.

Warren came out of the other room, and the two walked towards each other. They looked each other up and down, before nodded their approval.

"What's the iPod for?" Warren asked, as they walked side-by-side out the front door.

"I love my music," Seree replied simply, and Warren didn't ask any other questions.

After a few minutes of walking, Seree turned her head to Warren and asked, "How do we know where she is, or where they're keeping her?"

"This," Warren said, handing her a note. Seree's eyes scanned the paper, and she read:

_Come to the park by sundown, or your mother will not live to see sunrise._

"How cliché," Seree snorted, tossing the paper back to Warren. He nodded, and sighed. Seree's green eyes flashed with concern, and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," she whispered, smiling reassuringly at him. "We'll get her back."

Warren nodded, but the fear in his eyes didn't ease. Seree stopped, and gave him a hug. His eyes widened, but he hugged her back.

"It'll be alright," Seree insisted, and her heart slightly lifted when she saw the fear in his eyes disappear.

Seree and Warren walked along in silence, wondering what the battle would be like. When they reached the park, they looked around.

"Blaze trail," Seree said softly, pointing at where the trail began. The ground there was scuffled, and it looked like somebody had put up a fight there. Warren nodded, and the two walked to the entrance.

"The cliff?" Warren asked, and Seree nodded, understanding the meaning of the question at once.

"Most likely," Seree replied, checking the marks. They were fresh.

Warren took the lead, Seree trailing behind. At once, Seree knew that they were on the right track.

The woods were dark and quiet. There were no birds chirping, no bugs making noise, no rustles in the undergrowth as small animals ran through. The deafening silence was eerie, and Seree shivered.

"This isn't _right_," she whispered to Warren, her nerve on edge.

"I know," he replied, and Seree walked closer to him.

"I'm scared," she said quietly, and Warren nodded. He looped an arm around her shoulders, and she relaxed slightly. The two came to the end of the woods, and Seree knew that beyond the trees, the cliff awaited them.

"Well," Warren began, flexing his arms, "Let's go."

"Hey," Seree said, the tiniest of smiles gracing her lips. Warren looked back at her, and she smiled a bit wider. "Be careful."

His eyes grew affectionate, and he grabbed Seree's hand. Seree gulped, and the two stepped out of the woods.


	14. Battle

Battle, action, and the word 'manwhore' lie ahead. If you don't like battle, action, the word 'manwhore', or any of them, then stop reading (…and the word manwhore only appears once).

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Seree braced herself for impact; surely the enemies would attack as soon as they stepped out of the foliage.

Nothing happened.

Seree looked around, utterly confused. She could see by the way Warren glanced at her that he was confused too. She took a cautious step towards the cliff, preparing herself to jump back or fight.

Still, nothing happened.

"Hello sir, madam," A voice suddenly said, and Seree turned her head in the source of the noise.

A man was standing on the edge of the cliff, and his appearance took Seree by surprise. He had hawk wings emerging from him back, and was wearing a white mask that gave no indication of the face's shape underneath it. The mask was cut off at the nose, though; Seree and Warren could see his mouth. He had short blonde hair, and was wearing nothing but a pair of jeans.

"I am here to escort you to my Lord," he said, his voice deep and grating. "Come, milady." He beckoned Seree towards him, who didn't move. The hawk-man sighed, and took a step towards her. "My Lord grows impatient. Hasten, or yonder boy's mother will breathe no longer." Seree took a hesitant step towards the man, and he stretched out his hand. Seree tentatively placed her hand in his rough palm, and he closed his hand around hers.

Warren gave a growl and leapt forward, wrapping his arms around Seree's waist from behind. Seree gasped at the sudden contact, then shivered as she felt Warren's body so close to her own.

"If you take her, you take me," he snarled to the hawk-man, who was blinking at Warren in surprise. A wry smile crossed the hawk-man's lips.

"So be it," the hawk-man said, and grabbed Warren's shoulders. "Hang onto her, boy, or she shall find herself kissing the ground instead of you." Seree gave a cry, blushing madly, but fell silent as the hawk-man lifted both her and Warren off the ground. Warren's arms tightened around her waist, and Seree's heart thudded in her chest. She could feel Warren's warm fingers brush against the sensitive skin on her stomach; her tank-top ended about three centimeters above her belly-button. She mentally swore, her heart beating wildly. She was not used to this kind of touch, especially from Warren.

However, the warmth of Warren's body comforted her as they flew over the town, getting closer and closer to the mountains. Finally, the hawk-man started heading for the ground. They touched down just as the sun disappeared on the horizon. Warren's arms let go of her waist, and Seree immediately wished they weren't gone. The air was chilly, and Seree shivered. Why she didn't just up her body temperature, she didn't know. Probably because they would be fighting soon, and with the blood pumping through her veins, she would get warmer.

The hawk-man suddenly disappeared, then reappeared on a ledge high above the two.

"So," he called down, his eyes bright through the whiteness of the mask. "Are you going to come quietly, or will you fight?" Seree snorted, and rolled her eyes to Warren. Warren nodded, and Seree looked back at the hawk-man.

"We will fight!" Seree cried, blood thrumming with anticipation. The hawk-man nodded, a smile settling on his lips.

"I thought you would," he replied, and pulled a wire near him.

At once an alarm sounded, and Seree could hear doors opening. She put her iPod earphones in her ears, and smiled as her music began blaring. She started bobbing her head to the beat of 'Party in the Morgue'; the Blade Trinity soundtrack was one of her favorite CD's. Warren shot a look of confusion to her, and she deftly ignored it.

Soon, men dressed in SWAT team uniforms began pouring out of long, dark corridors. Seree smiled again as she saw how many men there were. This would be a fun fight.

"Warren!" She called as the men swarmed towards the two.

"What?" He called back, his hands igniting. It was a wonder Seree could hear him through her loud music.

"Aim to incapacitate! Not to kill!" Seree yelled, two balls of fire forming in her palms.

"What do you think I am, stupid?" Warren asked loudly, batting away a man who had come too close.

"Yes!" Seree replied, and grinned as she heard Warren's indignant cry. The men who had surrounded her hesitated; they had not expected to fight a teenage girl. Seree rolled her eyes, and leapt upon the nearest men.

She fought like a wildcat, cutting down anyone in her path. She shot balls of fire to the ones out of reach, making sure to lock onto her target before firing. She was not fond of the spray-and-pray technique; she found it to be too unyielding. She was deep into the mass of the men wearing SWAT uniforms, but she kept them at a reasonable distance by constantly shooting fire at them. Finally, one managed to grab her wrist. Seree growled and flipped him over, a satisfied smile appearing on her lips as the man hit the floor with a crunching sound.

As if it were a signal for all the others to attack, they swarmed forward. One looped an arm around Seree's waist; another grabbed her ankle. She grunted as the one holding her waist knocked her in the back of the head, and twisted around. She kicked at him, swinging the one holding her ankle into a crowd of others waiting to pounce. She caught the man right in the crotch, and smiled grimly as he collapsed in pain. The butt of a rifle barked against her back, and Seree gave a cry of pain. She whirled around, and grabbed the man's wrists. She swung him into another man, and narrowly evaded a well-aimed kick. She brought her fists up, warily eyeing the man in front of her. He gave forth a barrage of kicks. Seree ducked and weaved, until she got tired of the man.

Putting her weight on the toe of her left boot, Seree clicked open the blade she had in her boots. Her feet were swept out from under her, and she crashed to the floor. Snarling savagely, she lashed out at the man. Her boot caught the back of his knee; the blade ripped into his flesh while she heard his kneecap break. She shot up from the ground, and raised her fists again. This was beginning to get fun.

Warren was doing as good as Seree, if not better. He had started by upping the heat of the air around him so much that nobody could get near him. Then he began firing off rounds of flame, hitting each target either in the face or in the chest. Finally, he decided to let down the barrier of heat and let the men come.

The massive numbers that closed in around him didn't seem to have an affect on Warren. He was exceedingly good at hand-to-hand combat, and knocked out anyone that came near. His defense skills were lacking, though; three times he let somebody whack him upside the head before he found Seree again in the crowd.

"Seree! How are you doing?" He asked, his back against hers.

Her breathing was heavy, and her face was glistening with sweat, but she answered, "Just fine, thanks!"

"Good! Time to join forces?" Warren inquired, shaking his hair out of his eyes.

Seree looked around, and saw the place teeming with SWAT men. They had barely made a dent in their numbers. "Yeah!" She yelled, and redoubled her efforts. Warren did the same.

The two fought their way out of the crowd, and started attacking the outer flank. Soon the enemy's numbers began dwindling; a bit longer, and finished the rest off. Seree gave a cry of triumph when the last man fell, her eyes sparkling.

"You still alive?" Warren asked, and she shoved him playfully.

"Of course I am, stupid! I can't leave you here all alone! You wouldn't survive!" She answered, and Warren chuckled breathlessly.

Suddenly, a portion of the wall behind the ledge that the hawk-man was perched on opened. Warren's head snapped up, Seree's following more slowly.

A girl walked out of the door, the man who had attacked Warren's siblings by her side. She had extremely long, shining white-blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. Her features were like that of the man next to her; Seree guessed they were siblings. She surveyed the scene, from the heaps of unconscious men to the two victors standing in the middle. The man also glanced at what happened; he turned to the girl.

"Most of the men are alive. The destruction is not nearly as great as we had expected," the man said, and Seree bristled.

"Oh yeah? Well, you get your ass down here, manwhore, and I'll show you how _destructive_ I can be!" Seree screamed, shaking her fist at the two. Warren laughed openly, and Seree fumed at the man.

"Really? Would you like to test that taunt?" The man said, vaulting down from the ledge to Seree's level.

"Yes," she answered through gritted teeth.

"So be it. Your boyfriend will not interfere?" He asked, and Seree glanced at Warren. The look in her eyes scared him; it was like a savage sort of happiness, like the joy you see in a wolf as it's ripping something's throat out. He nodded slowly, and Seree turned back to the man.

"You have his word," she said calmly, turning the music volume of her iPod up. She had lowered it when she was talking to Warren; now she needed it for her upcoming fight. The man nodded, and leapt into action.

He shot forward, grabbing Seree's shoulders. She squeaked in surprise, then dug her heels into the ground. She threw him off her, and he skid along the ground before getting up again. With a piercing war-cry, Seree flung herself into battle.

She aimed a punch at the man's cheekbone, but he caught her wrist. He flung her towards the wall, and she hit the stone hard. The hawk-man, who was watching them from the ledge, gave a little jump. Seree blinked up at him. It was almost as if he was preventing himself from helping her. Before she had time to ponder the thought, she felt a hand grab her ankle. She cried out in anger, and unhooked a knife from her knife belt. She sunk it deep into the back of the man's hand, and he roared in pain. Seree shot him a feral smile, and yanked her ankle from his grip.

She was about to punch him in the jaw when he melted into the skin-colored puddle again. Seree got a nauseous feeling in her stomach that quickly left when the puddle formed into a Bengal tiger. Seree cried out in surprise when it leapt on her; she just barely grabbed the paws to keep them from goring her. She used her thighs to clasp the two back paws together. The tiger struggled, trying to figure out a way to claw her, but gave up.

He melted into the puddle again, this time trickling over Seree's body to get onto solid ground. Seree shrieked and jumped up, trying to quell the goose-bumps that had popped up on her arms. The puddle quivered for a moment, then shaped into a bobcat. It pounced on Seree, raking it's claws on her shoulder. She grit her teeth, and bodily threw the bobcat away from her. It yowled and twisted in mid-air; it landed on it's feet quite some distance away. Melting once again, it formed into an African elephant.

"_Shit_!" Seree whispered, eyes widening. She gathered fire in her hands and shot it at the elephant: no dice. It just lowered it's head and charged at her. The ground began to shake underneath her feet, and she growled. "Oh no you_ don't_," she muttered, and aimed four fire-balls at it's feet. The elephant trumpeted in pain when it's feet ignited, and it melted into the puddle once more.

This time, it formed back into the man. He launched himself at her, and she caught him deftly. She purposefully tripped over her own feet, hitting the ground on her back. She planted her foot in the man's stomach and used the momentum of her fall to swing him over her. He hit the wall, but got up again. He took two weak steps towards her, but fell before he could reach her. Seree rushed forward and caught him before he hit the ground; she laid him down gently on the steps.

"Why...?" He asked, confused by her behavior. "I am... your enemy. I should be treated... like one."

Seree shook her head. "Just because you are my enemy doesn't mean I shouldn't show mercy," she replied, and he sank into unconsciousness.

Warren had barely been paying attention to the two while they battled. His eyes were focused on the girl standing on the ledge with the hawk-man. She was staring at him intently; he could see a blatant hate deep in her eyes.

"So," the girl said, her voice soft and smooth. "You came."

"You have my mother. Why wouldn't I come?" Warren barked, anger creeping into the edges of his mind.

"Yes, I have your mother. Would you like to know why?" She asked, slowly and gracefully descending the steps leading to the floor Warren was standing on.

"Is this the part where you launch into a long and boring monologue?" Warren asked sarcastically, and she blinked at him.

"Yes. Your father killed my parents, so I'm going to kill anything you hold dear," she replied, smiling icily at him. "Long and boring enough for you?"

Warren sighed. "Look," he began, his voice exasperated. "Whatever my father did to you, I'm sorry. But I had no voice in the matter. Why take it out on me?"

"I don't know. Because I can," she replied, and the indifferent tone in her voice made warning bells clang in Warren's head. She reached a hand towards her waistband, and pulled a gun from her belt.

"What the-- you're pulling a gun on me?" Warren asked, his tone bored.

"Not on you._ Her_," she replied, gesturing with the gun behind him.

Seree had managed to knock out the man, but it had obviously taken a lot out of her. She was panting, and there were deep cuts on her shoulders. Her hair had become messed up, and her bangs had fallen in her eyes. She looked up with a triumphant smile on her face, shaking her bangs out of her eyes. Her eyes were sparkling with happiness; she loved to fight.

Warren's eyes widened in realization as to what the girl was going to do; he whirled around to try and warn Seree, but it was too late. The girl pulled the trigger, and there was a deafening bang.

The bullet hit Seree squarely in the chest. Her eyes widened in shock, and her mouth formed an _o_ in surprise. She raised a hand to the spot in her chest where the bullet had hit her, and a pang of fear shot through Warren's heart.

"Seree!" Warren screamed, his eyes wide and scared.

Seree gave forth a strangled sound, and her knees buckled. She fell with a sickening thud onto the hard stone floor.

She didn't rise again.


	15. Rescue

Warren froze where he was standing, heart hammering so loud in his chest that he wondered why anyone else didn't hear it.

"_Seree_!" He screamed again, hoping, praying that he would get some signs of life.

She didn't give him any.

"No..." Warren whispered, eyes brimming with tears. He blinked rapidly, trying not to let them fall. He turned away from her body, willing himself not to look at her lest his heart break. For all the world, Seree looked dead.

"Too bad, so sad," the girl said, loosely hanging onto the gun by it's trigger.

"You... I'll_ kill_ you for that!" Warren screamed, his sadness forming into raw fury.

She snorted, watching him with her ice-blue eyes. "I'd like to see you try," she replied, eyes glittering.

Warren roared and charged at her, leaping up the steps. She didn't expect the volley of attacks he threw; more than once, his fire burned her. She cried out, toppling over the ledge. She called out in some strange language, and the hawk-man responded immediately. He grabbed the girl's waist, lifting her back onto the ledge. She smirked at Warren, who wasn't fazed by this trick. Anger blinded his vision and clouded his common sense, and he launched himself at the girl. She stepped neatly to the side, and he hit the wall. He whirled around, and launched several balls of fire at her in quick succession.

He snarled at her, his hackles rising. Fury raged inside his head, tearing at his mind and leaving room for nothing else. However, a thought escaped the anger. Dimly, in the back of his mind, he could remember something that Seree had once said to him during a Save the Citizen game. _Anger is good for power, _she had said, _but it can cloud the mind and blind the fighter. Use it like you would use gasoline: let it fuel your fire. If you let your anger become too great, you will make stupid mistakes in battle, which will lead to your death. Capiche? _Slowly, the edges of his vision cleared. He took a deep breath, holding onto the anger. Tapping into a hidden reserve of power, his arms flared with new life.

The girl looked slightly surprised, then covered her surprise with a look of hate. She lifted up her arms, and her eyes glowed blue. Air swirled around her, and her hair fluttered in the breeze. She smiled.

"So, little flame," she began, her eyes glinting furiously. "If the winds are strong enough, will you die out?"

She pointed at him, and air rushed towards him. The flames on his arms flickered and died, and the wind was so fierce that it picked him up. He struggled in it's grip, trying to figure out a way to get down. She grinned savagely at him, and smashed him against the ground. He grunted, and thought of Seree's body. Anger rushed through him, and his hands ignited again. He shot a fireball at her, and caught her right in the chest.

She gave a cry of pain, falling over. The wind loosened it's grip, and Warren hit the ground. He stood up, shaking his hair out of his eyes.

Unbeknownst to him, Seree coughed, groaned, and rolled over.

The girl was standing up again, only this time, water was pooled in and around her hands.

"Scared yet?" She called, sending three balls of water at him.

"Not a chance!" He screamed, firing his own flame at the water. They met in mid-air, and evaporated into steam. He heard the girl swear under breath, and he smiled in spite of himself.

"Now, is that any way for a lady to talk?" He taunted, throwing fire at her.

"Shut your face, asshole!" She screamed, leaping down from the ledge. This time, her eyes glowed green, and when she lifted her arms, earth erupted from the cement to meet her. She hopped on a small island of grass and dirt, still trailing roots. She flew towards Warren, who dodged neatly to the side. He shot a ball of fire at her, and the island she was flying on burst into flame. She leapt gracefully from it, and her hands started to smoke.

"Fighting fire with fire? Does that _ever_ win?" Warren called, and she smiled.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," she replied, and shot fire at him. Warren snorted and batted the fire away, not even feeling any heat.

"Weak!" He said, his voice bored.

"Then how do you like this?" She yelled, clasping her hands and using them to create a flame-thrower of sorts. Warren's eyes widened, and he quickly dodged to one side. She narrowly missed the unconscious form of her brother, who rolled over. She cursed again, and this time, her hands were surrounded by darkness.

She sent out a wave of shadows, which came closer to Warren. He shot fire at them, and they recoiled. However, some had snuck up behind him and leapt upon him. He roared, and tried to shake them off. It was no good. They were too strong, and they didn't have a solid form. He couldn't grab them and throw them off; they melted through his fingers. He wasn't about to burn himself trying to get them off, either.

One slithered up his chest, and clamped over his mouth and nose. Warren's eyes widened in shock, and he flailed madly. The shadow remained over his face, suffocating him. He could feel himself weakening as he fought for air, and he fell to his knees. His lungs screamed for oxygen, and his vision was getting darker by the second. _So this is it, _he thought, _I'm going to be killed by a girl. What a way to go. _He could see her nearing him, and she stopped right before him.

"Goodbye, Warren Peace," she said, nothing but a cold hate reflecting in her eyes.

"Oh no you_ don't_, you godless whore!" Somebody screamed, and fire thudded into the girl's body. She rent forth a cry of surprise and pain, but quickly recovered. The shadows around Warren's mouth and nose loosened; he gulped in mouthfuls of sweet, cool air. He looked up, the dizzy feeling slowly fading. His eyes widened, and he struggled to get up.

Seree was walking towards them, her eyes glowing orange. Warren couldn't believe his eyes; he concluded that the lack of air was playing tricks on his mind.

"Seree...? But... she killed you..." Warren choked out, and Seree snorted.

"You cannot kill me, little girl," she said to the girl, whose eyes widened in anger. Seree's voice was different. Although he could hear her real voice, he also heard a deep bass voice that didn't seem like her own. She raised her arms, and fire danced and swirled around them. "I am immortal."

Inwardly, Seree held her breath. If she was lucky, she could shock this girl so much that she would have time to knock her out, or at least contain her.

The girl hesitated, staring at Seree fearfully. Seree lowered her arms, and thrust them towards the girl. A wall of fire erupted from them, and formed a cage around the girl. The heat pounded into her skull, and she finally cried out in defeat. She sank down to the floor, unconscious, and Seree lowered the heat of the cage to the air around them

Seree sighed in relief, and the flames around her arms died. "Glad that's over," she said to Warren, and he noticed that her voice was back to normal.

"How...?" He asked, his mind frazzled.

"Bulletproof chain-mail," Seree replied simply, lifting up her tank-top to show him.

"Then you're not...?" He inquired, wondering if what she said was true.

"Immortal?" Seree snorted and waved her hand at him. "Oh, please. I was bluffing. The voice thing I did with my iPod." Seree giggled, sounding like a giddy schoolgirl. "I can't believe it worked! They're so du--"

She was cut off as Warren swept her into a bone-crushing hug. She squeaked in surprise, then hugged him back.

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, hugging her to him.

"No," she said, gazing up into his dark eyes. "Like I said, you wouldn't be able to survive. And I was right, I saved your life!" She kissed him on the cheek, her eyes dancing mischievously. "You owe me big," she whispered, and he smiled.

His lips met hers, and they kissed passionately. Another surge went through Seree's body, and she shivered happily. She loved that feeling.

She broke away from Warren after a while. "Your mother," Seree said, "we have to find her." Warren nodded, and turned to the hawk-man. Seree was holding onto the corner of his jacket, a simple gesture of affection that Warren found endearing.

The hawk-man watched the two, then looked around him. Every SWAT man was either unconscious or incapacitated; the two siblings he watched over were both out of action. He glanced back at the couple, and smiled. Seree was sweating and panting, and Warren's face was bruising. He shook his head, smiling hopelessly at the two.

"Come," he said, gesturing to the door in the wall. "You deserve your victory."

Warren and Seree exchanged glances, and Warren started up the stairs. The tug of Seree's hand on his jacket lent him some comfort; at least he knew he wasn't alone. He hesitated at the door, and Seree gave him a slight push. He shot her an angry look, and she attempted to look innocent. He stepped into the darkness, Seree walking a bit closer to him.

Warren blundered along before Seree grabbed his hand and maneuvered herself so she was in front of Warren. "I can see better than you in the dark," she said, her tone smug. Warren shoved her playfully, and although he couldn't see it, she stuck her tongue out at him. She led him carefully around outcroppings of rock that jutted into their path, trying to keep the hawk-man in sight. She was so intent on guiding Warren around the rocks that she barked her head on one. She swore vividly, and Warren stifled a laugh.

They finally came to a high cavern in the middle of the mountain. There, Warren's mother was chained to a pole in the middle of the room. She was unconscious, and looked as if she had suffered a beating.

Seree gasped and rushed forward, while Warren whirled to the hawk-man. "Who did this to her?" He growled through gritted teeth, and the hawk-man raised his hands in defeat.

"Milady's brother. I tried to stop them, but--" He gestured to a large tear in his wing. "--as you can see, I was unsuccessful." Warren backed off a little, eyeing the hawk-man warily. Something about him made Warren want to call him a long-lost brother; at the same time, he wanted to throttle the man.

"Warren!" Seree's panicked cry cut into his thoughts, and he walked over to her. "Warren, I-I can't break the chain, it won't melt, I can't... I can't...!" He pressed a finger to her lips, surprised at her behavior. She was panicking, her eyes huge and frightened. It was strange to see her so flustered.

"It's alright," Warren said, deciding to ask her about it later. "Grab one end and pull when I say to." Seree nodded, blinking back tears. She grabbed the end of the chain nearest the pole, and he grabbed the beginning of the chain, nearest his mother wrist.

"Pull!" He barked, and Seree yanked on the chain with all her might. Warren heaved against it, but it was too strong.

"It's too strong!" Seree cried, panic flashing in her eyes.

"Keep trying," Warren commanded, and Seree tried. Suddenly, a pair of large hands came into her vision, and rested over her own. Seree glanced up in surprise, and she stared into a pair of green eyes the same color as her own.

"Try again," the hawk-man said, his eyes and voice soft. Seree nodded, and this time, he lent his strength to her. The chain made a grating noise, then snapped. Warren caught his balance right before he fell on his mother, and Seree fell back into the waiting arms of the hawk-man behind her.

Warren scooped his mother into his arms, and looked back at Seree. The hawk-man helped her up, and Seree stared in confusion at him. He smiled and bent down to her height, and whispered in her ear, "Anne made me promise to take care of you." Seree stared up at him, and her eyes widened as realization dawned on her.

"How are we going to get back?" Warren asked, and Seree nodded.

"You carried two here, but now we are three," Seree said, still trying to figure out how this man was connected to her mother. "How are you going to get us back?"

"With the help of a friend," the hawk-man replied, and led the two back out into the night. The sun was rising, coloring the sky a rosy pink. He put two fingers in his mouth and gave a high, piercing whistle.

There was another whistle in return, and a man that looked like the hawk-man touched down next to them. "Orpheus, you called?" He asked the hawk-man, who nodded.

"Amadeus, my guests here need an escort home. Their numbers prove too great for me, and I request your help," Orpheus replied, and Amadeus pondered for a moment.

"My wings are yours to command," Amadeus replied, and Orpheus smiled.

"The boy with hair the color of darkness and blood: take him and his mother. I shall take the maiden," Orpheus said, and Amadeus nodded.

"Come, young sir," Amadeus said, beckoning towards Warren. Warren glanced at Seree, and she nodded her head. He sighed, and allowed Amadeus to grab his shoulders. The hawk-man pumped his wings, and soon the two were heading off towards the town.

"Milady," Orpheus said, holding out a hand to Seree. She took it without hesitation, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hold on to me," he whispered, and Seree nodded. He took off into the pre-dawn light, and soon they caught up to Amadeus.

The flight was short, but Seree loved it. She made a sound of regret when they finally reached Warren's house; Orpheus gave her a small smile when he heard her. Warren still held his mother in his arms, and Seree turned back to Orpheus and Amadeus.

"Goodbye, and thank you," Seree said, kissing each on the cheek. Warren rolled his eyes, but he didn't mind. After all, they didn't really need to help the two. They just helped them. Orpheus and Amadeus shuffled their feet and glanced at each other after Seree gave them a farewell kiss, and then both smiled.

"Goodbye, heroes," Amadeus said, smiling.

"Good luck," Orpheus said, wearing a smile identical to Amadeus's.

They took off into the air, Seree waving after them. She watched them fly away until they were out of sight, then turned back to Warren.

"We got your mother back and survived. I'd say it was a pretty good night, eh?" Seree asked, elbowing Warren in the shoulder.

Warren nodded, smiling at Seree. "Look," he said, gesturing with his head towards the sunrise.

It was beautiful, the sky fading from a dark blue to a light pink. Seree smiled, and leaned her head against Warren's shoulder. "Isn't it beautiful?" She sighed, and Warren snorted.

"No," he replied sullenly.

"Hey!" Seree cried, punching him lightly in the shoulder. He smiled at her, and the two started up the walk to his house. _Yes, _Seree thought, lingering in the doorway a moment. _Yes, it was a good night. _Warren called her from inside, and she gently closed the door.


	16. Vacation

Sheesh, people, I'm going as fast as I can! Be _patient_! Anyways, no, I'm not ending the story anytime soon. I'm planning to tie Seree into the movie's events, such as Warren fighting Will and Layla going after Warren.

Oh, and Devil's Daughter, I stole your line. Hope you don't mind. And calm down, girl, I'm trying to update faster.

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Seree woke up sometime in the afternoon, only to find herself curled up in the arms of Warren on the couch. She grunted in surprise and rubbed her head; she felt hung-over. But she knew she hadn't drank anything since they got here. So what...?

_Oh, yeah. The rescue mission. _

Seree yawned widely, and gently peeled Warren's arms off her. She got up and stretched, then padded over to the phone. She dialed the phone to her house, trusting Toni to pick up the phone in her room, which always rung first. She waited a couple of rings, tapping her nails on the counter.

"Nnh... hullo?" Seree heard Toni's sleepy voice crackle over the phone.

"Toni! We got his mom back, and we're alive!" Seree cried, and Toni flinched and held the phone away from her ear on the other side.

"That's great. Listen, these kids are drivin' me up the _wall_. Help me out, here," Toni pleaded, grateful that the kids were sleeping.

"Kay. I'll be over there inna minute," Seree replied, and hung up.

She walked over to Warren's sleeping form, and was about to wake him when she though better of it. She gazed down at his face, smiling slightly. He looked so relaxed in his sleep. _Well, duh, _she mentally chided herself,_ he's sleeping. What, would he be killing people in his sleep? _Seree chuckled and shook her head. She grabbed a piece of paper, wrote a not to Warren, and walked out the door. She didn't bother to grab any shoes; the day was nice, and she didn't feel like wearing anything on her feet.

Warren woke up after she left, wondering why the comforting warmth that was on top of him a moment before was gone. He realized Seree was nowhere to be seen, and looked around wildly. He caught sight of the note on the table next to him, and picked it up.

_Warren,_

_Gone to go get your siblings. They're making Toni more insane, which I hadn't though possible. NO, I HAVEN'T BEEN KIDNAPPED!_

_Smoochies,_

_Seree._

Warren smiled at her note. He yawned, not realizing how tired he was. He went back to the couch, grabbed a blanket, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

Seree walked down the sidewalk, trying to remember how to get to her house from Warren's. Finally, she saw the familiar blue truck in the driveway, and jogged up to her front door. She hesitated for just a moment, hearing the tinkling sound of breaking glass and a shouted curse. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, walking into the house with her head held high.

Her father caught sight of her and roared, "Where have you _been_?"

"Not like you care. Did you miss having someone to kick around?" Seree asked, glaring hatred at him from her green eyes.

"You will _not_ speak to me like that!" Her father cried, stepping forward and swinging towards her cheek. She dodged it neatly, and started towards the stairs. "I bet you were out with that _boy_, weren't you? If you're not careful, you'll end up just like your damned mother!"

That was it. Something in Seree snapped, and she turned towards her father. She had never known such a deep anger before, not even when she faced down Lash in the gym that one day. She took a step towards her father, flames gathering around her.

"You... will _not_..." Seree began, her eyes smoldering. The air's heat around her was intensifying by the second. "Insult my mother." She raised a hand, and fire erupted into it. She brought her hand close to his face, and waved the flame around.

"You see this?" She asked, relishing in the fear in her father's eyes. "Fifteen years, Dad. Fifteen years of pent-up anger and frustration. I'm surprised I just don't just fry your damn ass." She snapped her fingers, and the fire slowly dissipated. The temperature around her began to cool down. "But if you ever hit me again, insult my mother again, or try to hurt my friends again, I will. I will barbecue you whole and feed you to the dogs," She whispered, her voice menacingly quiet.

Her father nodded, dumbstruck by fear. Seree turned on her heel and marched up the steps. Soon she came down the steps, carrying Tori in her arms and holding another child's hand. Toni was watching the other two. She glared at her father until they were out the door, then her mood lightened.

She chattered and laughed the whole way to Warren's house, entertaining the kids and talking with Toni. She gave Toni an explanation of how the battle went down: she skipped the part where she got shot, resolving to tell Toni later. She carried the kids all the way to their house, then set Tori down in front of the door. She opened the door slowly, and saw that Warren was sleeping. She smiled, a diabolical plan forming in her mind.

"Okay, kids. I need you to do me a favor," Seree whispered, bending down, and the kids leaned in towards her. "I need you to sneak up right next to Warry and jump all over him!" The kid's eyes shone, and Seree smiled. "Can you do that for me?" She asked, and the four nodded.

They tip-toed over to where Warren was sleeping, and looked back at Seree for reassurance. Seree gestured for them to go on, and they turned back to Warren. Suddenly they jumped on him, yelling at the top of their lungs. Warren yelled and rolled over, smacking on the floor. Seree giggled, and Toni laughed loudly.

"What the-- Seree!" Warren cried, overtaken by four youngsters. Seree was still laughing as she fought her way over to Warren. She tripped over Tori and landed next to him.

"What?" She asked, trying to conjure up a halo.

He grabbed her around the shoulders, and sat up. He kissed her, and Seree closed her eyes in happiness. The kids all around them made noises of disgust, and Seree broke away and laughed. Warren smiled, and Toni walked over to them.

"Well, well," Toni said, crouching down next to them. "Looks like you two are happy."

Seree nodded, her eyes sparkling, smiling. "Yes!" She cried, and Toni smiled.

"Then I guess you don't need me here," Toni said, grabbing her flight goggles from around her neck.

"Aw, Toni... do you have to leave so soon?" Seree asked, and Toni nodded.

"You know how mom is," Toni replied, and Seree sighed. She disentangled herself from Warren and the kids, and stood up to face Toni.

"When the guns come out..." Toni began, embracing Seree.

"We'll be ready for war," Seree finished, squeezing Toni tightly. Tears popped into her eyes; she hated saying goodbye.

"I'll see you later. Next vacation I get, maybe," Toni said, walking up to Warren. "Well, Warren... it's been real. You hurt Seree, and I rip out your throat." Warren smiled at her, and she gave him a hug too.

"Our next vacation starts a week from now!" Seree called, and Toni nodded.

"Yeah, but you know my school," Toni replied, putting on her flight goggles. Toni went to a boarding school for 'budding' super heroes. Basically, tt was just an all-girls version of Sky High. "Rules, regulations, yadda yadda yadda." Toni made dismissive waving gesture with her hand, and Seree felt the tears in her eyes grow bigger.

"Love ya, Tones," Seree whispered, and Toni grinned at her.

"Love ya more," she replied, and grew her wings. She took off into the air, and called back, "Goodbye! Use protection!" Seree cried out angrily at her, but waved all the same.

Warren slipped an arm around Seree's waist, and she leaned closer to him.

"Vacation'll be boring," he said, and Seree nodded.

"But just think, after vacation there'll be lots of itty-bitty freshman," Seree said, grinning at him. She walked back inside his house, Warren trailing after her.

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Seree was right. Vacation was pretty boring. She and Warren grew a stronger bond throughout the vacation, however. They swam in the lake at the bottom of her cliff, and took long walks in the park when the stars came out. Seree tried to teach Warren how to speak to birds, but the only things he ever managed to say were, 'How are you doing?' and 'Nice hat'. Seree stared at him after he learned this last phrase. She pointed out that birds didn't wear hats, and Warren sulked for the rest of the day afterward.

Seree took him to the beach, which proved to be a disaster except for the fact that Seree got to see him without a shirt on. The water was freezing, and Warren refused to go in. Finally, Seree yanked him to the edge and pushed him in. He almost got sucked under by a wave, but Seree dived in and ducked him under it just in time. He emerged sopping wet, and glared daggers at the grinning Seree next to him. Needless to say, he was not happy with her afterward.

To make it up to him, Seree took him for a walk in the little streets of shops next to the beach. She bought him an ice-cream cone (cookies n' cream, his favorite) and he seemed to perk up a bit afterward. The two sat on the sand and listened to the waves for the rest of the night before going back to their homes.

Soon, vacation was drawing to a close. On their last night, Warren and Seree sat on the cliff, Seree leaning against Warren and Warren having his arms lovingly wrapped around Seree.

"Goddammit," Seree said, and Warren rested his chin on her head.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and Seree rolled her eyes.

"School. Homework. More school," Seree said, sighing. Warren smiled.

"School isn't all that bad," Warren said, and Seree growled.

"Okay then, _you_ try taking Sex Ed with Lash," Seree rumbled at him, and he fell silent for a moment.

"Good point," he said, shuddering at the thought. Seree smiled, a wonderful thought coming to her.

"I get to see you more often, though," Seree said, hugging Warren's arms tighter to her.

"Stalker," Warren accused, but Seree could tell by his tone that he was smiling.

"Like you're one to talk. You called me in the middle of the night asking if I could come over," Seree replied, grinning at the thought.

"Yeah, but that was an emergency," Warren protested.

"Warren, I hardly think your little sister asking what you had 'down there' was an emergency," Seree said, giggling. "Ah, the look on your face! I should have brought a camera."

Warren shoved her playfully, and she elbowed him lightly in the stomach.

"I wonder who the new year will bring?" Seree mused, staring up at the stars.

"Probably a bunch of preps, freaks, goths, and all the other people that show up in high school," Warren replied, his tone indifferent.

"New friends," Seree whispered, staring longingly into the night.

"I doubt they'll come near me," Warren said, tightening his arms around her.

"If you be nice, they might," Seree chided, and Warren sighed.

"I don't _do_ nice," he said, and Seree knew by the tone of his voice that she shouldn't press the matter further.

"Liar," she said, looking up at him. "You're nice to me."

"How many times have I told you before?" He asked, smiling at her. "For you, and only for you, will I make an exception." Seree nodded, and went back to staring at the stars. Warren was silent for a moment, then glanced down at Seree.

"Will you still love me?" He asked, and Seree stared up at him.

"Self-conscious?" She asked, disbelief in her eyes. "Oh please. They're freshman. I don't date guys younger than me. Besides," she began, turning around to face him. "You're the only one I love. Nobody can replace you." Warren stared at her, and she kissed him. The kiss was short and sweet, fueled with passion.

"But I'm not going to buy you chocolates on Valentine's Day," Warren said, and Seree looked scandalized.

"Fine then, _be_ like that," she said sullenly, but they both knew she didn't care. As long as he loved her, that was enough.


	17. Author's Note: AWOL

Alright, people, here's the deal: I'm going to take a week off from 'You Can't Say "I Hate You" Forever'. As many of you know (and if you don't know, you're an idiot), Christmas is about three days away. Tomorrow, my friend is having a holiday bash: gone all day. Saturday, I go to my uncle's house to celebrate Christmas Eve, since they can't come to our house on Christmas day: gone all day. Christmas day: come on, I'm not going on the computer on Christmas day! What's wrong with you? My birthday lands three days after Christmas, and I'm going to have a party-type thing: gone all day.

Monday and Tuesday, I'm going to spend vegging around, sleeping in and messing with my stuff from Christmas. Also, here's another reason: I haven't seen the first half of the movie. I came into the movie when Will and Warren played Save the Citizen. I don't know the teacher's names, I don't know what really goes on in school, but I still attempted to write a fanfiction. I think it's coming along great, but I want to see the beginning of the movie before rushing into the next chapter.

Another reason: my inspiration has been sucked out of me. I can't write to save my own ass. If I try, the chapter will either turn out to be crap, Warren will be completely out of character (more than usual), and Seree would be light and fluffy. Light and fluffy NOT SEREE. Except when she's alone with Warren.

Bottom line, folks: I'm taking a week off my fanfiction because of Christmas, birthday, not really knowing what goes on in the first half of Sky High, and lack of inspiration.

If you want to boycott and stop reading because I'm going AWOL for a week, go ahead. It's your loss. I've given you fifteen chapters in a relatively short time, so I feel you have no right to complain. Entertain yourself by reading things such as 'Her War with Peace' by Corvaisis, 'Birthday' by Nagia, or 'Who Are You?' by DR. COFFIN. They kick ass far more than my fanfiction does, so check them out.

So, whatever. See you all in a week! waves


	18. Author's Note: Christmas Interlude

I am terribly sorry, dear readers. I've been away far too long. But I swore to myself that I wouldn't continue the story until I watched the movie, so I'm sticking to that. But, I'll include a short Christmas chapter, since it was Christmas five days ago.

Enjoy. I'm not dead yet, and I'm not abandoning this story.

Snow stuck to the ground, freezing the sidewalks into solid ice. Seree slid along one in her boots, running until she gained enough momentum and then just sliding. In doing so, she crashed into: a pole, a car, and a very unfortunate Warren who had gone for hot chocolates a moment before.

"What the hell are you doing?" He cried, nearly spilling the hot chocolates all over the both of them.

"Having some fun. You should try it sometime," Seree replied, reaching for a hot chocolate. Warren slapped her hand away. She gave him a pouty look, and he examined her. Her cheeks were flushed with cold, and her eyes were twinkling merrily. She looked very happy. Finally, Warren gave into the pout and handed her a hot chocolate.

"If you call crashing into things fun, then I'm not getting into it," Warren said sulkily, sipping his drink with one hand and burying the other in his jacket. He hated the cold, and he never felt good enough to warm himself up with his flames. Mostly he cocooned himself in his blankets and slept with the thermostat turned up.

Lately, though, Seree had been dragging him outside more and more, claiming she wanted him to be more social. "I'm perfectly fine all on my lonesome, thank you very much," he had told her, but she had been relentless. Finally, he had given into her pleading and had gone out into the cold winter morning.

"Howcome you didn't spill the chocolates on yourself?" Seree asked, taking a grateful sip of the hot liquid. It spread through her body, tingling in her veins. She could just heat herself up, but she'd feel bad about being so happily warm while Warren was miserably cold.

Warren shrugged. "Incon_ceiv_able!" Seree exclaimed loudly, a look of surprise on her face. Warren cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You've been reading The Princess Bride again, haven't you?" He asked, knowing that it was one of her favorite books.

She smiled and looked away, sipping her hot chocolate. "Maybe," she said finally, drawing out the word. Warren felt a smile coming on. Maybe the day wouldn't be so bad after all.

However, he was soon regretting getting out of bed that morning.

First off, there was this group of junior high school girls that trailed him everywhere he went. Seree didn't seem too bothered by it, but their constant giggling and exclamations of 'Oh my God, he is sooooo hot!' soon got under his skin. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and snapped at them. They quickly scurried away, terrified.

"That was mean," Seree remarked, punching him lightly on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well if you hadn't dragged me out here I wouldn't be terrorizing junior high girls, now would I?" Warren replied bitingly, and Seree grinned at him.

"Yeah, well, if I hadn't dragged you out here, I wouldn't be able to grab you when I slip on the ice," she replied, and as if to punctuate her point, she slid precariously along the ice. Warren caught her hand gently, though, and had steered her back to him. "See what I mean?" She asked him, eyes sparkling.

"That's just dumb luck. If I wasn't here, you would be steering into gravel driveways and falling down as an effort to stop," he said teasingly, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"That was just the one time!" Seree protested, and the two bantered back and forth throughout the rest of the day.

Finally, they arrived at Warren's house. The kids were asleep, and Warren's mother was busy arranging presents under the tree. Warren went up to his room, resolving to put his coat, boots, and gloves away. Seree looked at the squat little tree in the corner of the room, covered with tinsel, ornaments, and lights. The whole thing shimmered and shone in the soft light of the lamp in the living room. She fidgeted in the doorway, her eyes sad. Warren's mother straightened up, took one look at the girl and asked, "What's the matter, dear?"

Seree snapped out of her reverie and blinked once or twice. "It's nothing," she said automatically, and Warren's mother rolled her eyes.

"Come now, I'm a mother of five. Even if three of them are adopted, I can still tell whether they are lying or not," she said sternly, but her eyes were smiling.

"It's just that… we don't have a Christmas tree in our house. We don't even celebrate Christmas," Seree said, biting her lip and looking away. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and Warren's mother smiled gently. She took Seree's chin firmly in her hand, and turned her face up to meet her.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of!" Astrael exclaimed, and Seree smiled slightly. "Come. Let's bake Christmas cookies together." Seree nodded, and the two immediately began bustling around the kitchen.

Warren walked down the stairs to the smell of fresh cookies, and followed his nose into the kitchen. There sat a pan of unwatched chocolate-chip cookies, presumably cooling, on the kitchen table. Warren quieted his breathing, and reached out towards the cookies.

Seree whirled and administered a stinging slap to the back of Warren's hand. "You men!" She exclaimed, eyes dancing with laughter. "Always trying to steal what we make!" Warren rubbed his sore hand and shot her a scathing look. She returned it full-force, then smiled. "Wait till we're done, and then we'll let you have a few." Warren skulked out of the kitchen, sulking at the fact that a girl had just ordered him around and had gotten away with it.

Soon, the cookies were done cooling. Seree marched out of the kitchen, and dropped a couple of cookies onto Warren's lap. "Eat up, they're delicious," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before going upstairs to hand out cookies to the other kids.

The rest of the night was spent in the living room, Seree and Warren playing Trivial Pursuit. Warren's mother watched. After two hours of non-stop playing, Seree finally won. She jumped up, doing a little victory dance.

"I just went easy on you because you would kick my ass if you lost," Warren stated, closing his eyes and leaning back with his hands behind his head.

"Sure," Seree teased, sitting down next to him. She looked at the clock, and the color drained from her face. "Shit, I gotta go," she said, jumping up. "My dad'll kill me if I'm not home soon." Warren sighed, his outlook on the evening dampening.

"Do you have to go?" He asked, trying hard not to sound like he was whining.

"It's Christmas _Eve_, love. Even if we don't celebrate it, I feel like I have to be in my house to fully enjoy it," Seree explained, and Warren's mother held out a hand to prevent her from going anywhere.

"I'll call your father and see if a few little arrangements can be made," she said secretively, a gleam in her eye. Seree watched her go into the kitchen, then sat down next to Warren again.

"Your mom's cool," she whispered out of the side of her mouth to Warren.

Warren snorted and rolled his eyes. "Not if you have to live with her," he replied. Seree gave him a look, and he immediately changed the subject.

Finally, Warren's mother came out of the kitchen. "It's been arranged," she began, beaming at Seree and Warren, "that Seree will stay over here for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You father is bringing your pajamas and some extra blankets."

Seree's jaw just about hit the floor. Warren looked slightly more composed.

Seree's dad came and dropped off the clothes, and with a hurried kiss on the cheek and a murmur of "Thanks, Da" Seree was ready for her night at the Peace household. She brushed her teeth and put on her pajamas, then went downstairs to mess with Warren.

Two games of Trivial Pursuit and many thrown game-pieces later, Warren's mother decided to go to bed. "Night, kids," she said, hugging Seree and ruffling Warren's hair. "Condoms are under the sink if you need them."

"MOM!" Warren screamed, blushing, as Seree went into helpless fits of giggles. She doubled over and pointed at Warren, covering her mouth with her hand so she wouldn't burst out into laughter. Warren stared at her, then began to tickle her in the middle. "Laugh at me, will you?" He said menacingly, but there was laughter in his voice. Finally, the two collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily from so much play.

Seree glanced up, and smiled wearily. "Oh, hey, look!" She said, pointing up. A sprig of mistletoe dangled between the two. "Mistletoe! You know what that means!" She nudged Warren with her eyebrow and winked suggestively.

"I'm not taking care of any kids until we're over eighteen," he quipped, and Seree gave him a scandalized look and slapped him in the shoulder. "I was kidding!"

She huffed and turned away, and Warren frowned slightly. Then, he stood up, grabbing Seree and pulling her up with him. He then put a hand in the small of her back, and leaned her back, like people do when they're dancing. He kissed her gently, right under the mistletoe, as was tradition.

When he was finished, she looked completely bushed. "Don't let go," she cautioned, looping her arms around Warren's neck. "I've heard that legs of jelly don't support people really well." Warren chuckled, then picked her up like a child and started up the stairs.

"C'mon, we'll sleep in my room," he said, shifting her in his arms so he could turn on the light to his room.

"I thought you said you weren't going to take care of any babies till we're eighteen," Seree pointed out, her tone teasingly loving. He clicked his tongue at her and shoved her playfully.

"I call the right side!" She cried immediately, bounding onto the bed.

"Shotgun," Warren replied, sitting next to her. She smiled up at him, and he caressed her face in his hands. She leaned into his touch, and Warren smiled. He laid her gently on the bed, and she was out the moment her head hit the pillow. Warren shook his head at her, then slid in next to her. He covered them both with the comforter, and kissed Seree on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams, dear one," he whispered, making sure that nobody was around to hear it. He didn't want to be labeled as a hopeless romantic.

Warren woke the next morning with Seree's arms curled tightly around him and her face pressing into the space between his shoulder and neck. He blinked, tried to move, and found he could not. He began to sweat, wondering if he would get out of this alive. Seree was a real bear in the mornings. He tried to disentangle her arms, but she only clutched tighter. She snuggled closer to him and murmured something like, "Don't go."

Warren sighed, and poked her cheek. He poked her cheek three more times before she finally opened her eyes. "Hey," he whispered, and she glared at him. He smiled slightly and said, "It's Christmas."

He barely had time to roll over before Seree flung back the covers, darted down the hall, and bounded down the stairs, all the while screaming, "It's CHRISTMAS!"

She was quickly followed up by the kids, and a shirtless Warren. She was already sorting the presents into piles, and soon everybody got their presents ready for opening.

Tori got a red plaid dress, Andy got a Nintendo DS, and the rest got a range of gifts from stuffed animals to rollerblades.

Seree picked up a small box wrapped in red paper with green trees across it. She shook the box, and opened the paper carefully. She slid the top off the box, and discovered a chain made of banded silver. She squealed in delight, then asked Warren to put it on her. He readily obliged, and the chain fit beautifully on her neck.

Warren got a new black leather jacket, and another sketchbook (courtesy of Seree). Finally, just when she thought all the presents were done, Warren presented her with another gift.

She gave him a quizzical look, then felt all around the present. It felt like a book. "Go on, open it!" Warren urged, and she glared at him. Finally, though, she unwrapped the paper.

She slid the paper off the book, and her eyes widened in surprise. Her mouth was agape, and she lifted the book with trembling hands. Her lips began to move, but she seemed too stunned to speak. She turned to Warren, and finally she got her lips and voice to go the same way. She used them to ask him the question:

"You got me How to Make Love Like a Porn Star?"


	19. AN: SortofFAQ

I know, I know. Death to me for not updating for so long. My friend still hasn't brought the effing DVD, so I haven't watched the full movie. And like I said before, I'm not continuing the story until I've watched it. I'm also leaving for an archery tournament tomorrow, so I won't be here. But, I wanna take this time to explain a few things that may seem confusing in the story.

**Why does Warren's mom have four other kids besides Warren?**

Because Baron Battle (her husband and Warren's daddy) had killed the families of those four kids. She felt it was her responsibility to take care of the kids, since their families were dead because of Baron. She took in Tori, Andy, Anne-Marie, and Bryan. The only kid who's really hers is Warren.

**Howcome Seree didn't just barbecue her dad?**

Because her father makes the money that pays taxes, bills, etc. He also makes the money to pay for Seree to go to Sky High, so she decides to keep him around.

**Doesn't he have superpowers? **

No. He married Seree's mother not knowing she had superpowers.

**How did Seree get her firepowers?**

Because her grandfathers from both sides had firepowers. They passed on a gene containing the ability of fire to her father. However, the gene stayed dormant in the dad but activated in the kid. So, Seree gets firepowers.

**Whatever happened to Dom?**

He got shot in the head by an angry mugger. Too bad, so sad.

**How did that one hawk-guy know Seree?**

Her mother was his sister.

**Why are you so lazy?**

I have no idea. Figure it out yourself.

This concludes the weird interview session with the author. Hope that cleared some things up for ya!

Take care now, bye-bye then!


	20. Freshies

**A/N: Okay, I'm incredibly sorry, guys. My friend that promised me Sky High for my birthday once again flaked on me, giving me some lame excuse about her twelve-year-old sister breaking my DVD in half or something. But another friend was very nice, and she let me borrow her copy of Sky High. So, I've watched it a few times, and typed up this chapter. Hopefully I can start getting with the flow again. **

**My story has many plot holes, mainly because I started this story completely on a whim, with no real outline or anything. Sorry. And to answer your question, Seree was born in Australia, and though her mother died in Australia, she had always wanted to be buried in America, where she originated. She had moved to Australia with her family, where she met Seree's dad. So, her dad honored her last wish and buried her in America, close to Seree's home.**

**Also, I'm surprised that in all the Warren stories out there, of the ones I read at least, nobody's mentioned the flame tattoos on the outside of his wrists. Queer.**

**…And I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit short. It's probably just my imagination.**

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Seree sighed as she trotted through the halls of Sky High. Her alarm clock had suddenly decided that it didn't want to wake her up, so she had slept in until lunch time. Then it took her a while to get a ride to school, so she had half of lunch-time left. She loped up to the doors of the cafeteria, and heard a spectacular crash. Wishing she had stayed in bed, Seree pushed open the doors to the cafeteria.

She came in just in time to see Will throw Warren off the table and into a low-hanging part of the ceiling. Her eyes widened, and she gasped, "Warren!" She darted forward to the table he had landed on, and knelt down next to him. Her eyes flooded with concern.

Will, Layla, Zack, Magenta, and Ethan watched in surprise. They watched the girl stand up, fury replacing the concern in her eyes.

"Stronghold!" Warren boomed, struggling up. Seree grasped his wrist and yanked him to his feet. They watched him brush her off, and the two argued in hushed tones. Finally, the girl skulked off, leaning against a plaster pillar and sulking. She watched the fight moodily.

She remained there, watching the fight, occasionally quirking an eyebrow at the two. She gave a little jolt when Will threw Warren through the wall, but remained where she was.

Until Will grabbed the fire extinguisher that Layla threw him, and sprayed Warren with it.

She shot forward with an enraged cry, stopping right in front of Will. "You better not try anything else, freshie," she snarled, grabbing the front of his shirt. He was caught momentarily off-guard by her sudden jump into the fight, but thought fast. He brought the fire extinguisher down on the back of her neck, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Seree!" Warren roared, running to her side. She groaned and rolled over, and he grabbed her around the waist and helped her up. Seree opened blurry eyes to the feet of Principal Powers, and immediately regretted it.

She limped down the hall, waving Warren away when he offered to help her. Will walked uneasily, wondering if those two would try to nuke him from behind.

_Of course not_, he thought, _Principal Powers' right there!_ He snorted, and heard a sharp exhale from behind him. He gulped, and followed Principal Powers into the detention room.

"He started it!" Will said after a few minutes of talking, pointing at Warren.

"No, his _dad_ started it. And I'm gonna _end_ it!" Warren snapped back, holding out his arms to light them. Seree rested a restraining hand on his arm, scowling at him. He scowled back, but lowered his arms.

"Don't bother," Principal Powers said, stepping into the room. "The detention room neutralizes all powers." Then she went into some long, boring speech about 'using your powers wisely' or something. Seree rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Warren. She scootched her chair closer to Warren, and started inspecting a scratch on his head.

"Look, whatever our dads did, I don't think it should have anything to do with us," Will said, extending his hand. "So what do you say?" Warren glared at him.

"I say, that if you ever cross me again, I'll roast you alive," he growled, his eyes dark with fury. He suddenly inhaled sharply, making a hissing sound. "Ow! _Woman_!" He roared, turning to Seree and slapping her hand away. She jerked back, then made a face at him.

"Yes, I'm a woman. And you're sounding like one!" She snapped back, eyes angry. "Now stop whining and hold still!" Will gave a snort, barely suppressing his laughter.

"You think this is funny, Stronghold?" Warren snarled, glaring at Will. "Well, I'll give you _funny_, you li--" Seree grabbed his wrist, and he whirled on her.

"Calm down, dude. It's just one fight," Seree said calmly, her anger fizzling out. He curled his lip at her, but obliged.

Finally, the bell rang. Seree got up to go, and touched her fingers against Warren's shoulder gently. He turned back to look at her, eyebrows raised and eyes heavy-lidded. "I'll catch up to you in a sec, okay?" She whispered, giving him a smile that absolutely melted his heart. He never showed it on the outside, though. He nodded, and she smiled again. He walked down the hall, and Seree whirled to Will.

"Okay, look," she said, pointing at Will and sticking her finger under his nose. "You don't mess with him anymore, got it?" Her voice was low and menacing, and her eyes were sparkling with anger.

"Why should I listen to you?" He asked in a momentary surge of boldness.

"Because, my dear boy," she said, smiling gently. "I may not be as strong as Warren, but I make up for that in pure... unadulterated... _ferocity_." She lit her finger under his nose, and he jumped back. "Oh, and if he ever almost barbecues your friends again, call me. I'll try to calm him down, okay?" She asked, flashing him a sincere smile. "He's got quite a temper. But I've gotta run, he'll be wondering 'bout me. Ciao!" She ran down the hall, tossing a goodbye wave over her shoulder.

Will watched her go, very confused. The first minute, she was a whirlwind of fiery anger. The next, she was smiling and even a bit friendly. He shook his head slightly, and went down the halls to find Layla and the group.

Finally, PE rolled around. Seree and Warren sat a little bit away from the group (as usual), while Lash and Speed battered up another couple of super-kids. She clasped hands with his, being careful to keep the clasped hands from sight. "Still want to keep your 'bad-guy' reputation, eh?" She asked, leaning her head on his shoulder and tracing the flame tattoos on the outside of his wrists.

"Yeah. I guess I'm not the kind of guy who's all... majorly affectionate in public and stuff," Warren said, and, after making sure nobody was looking, leaned his own head against Seree's. He peeked at her from the corner of his eyes, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Does that bother you?" He asked as she lifted her head off his shoulder to make a more thorough inspection of his tattoos.

"Mm? Oh, no," Seree said reassuringly, smiling. "Don't bother me at all, love." He shifted his eyes back to their clasped hands, appeased.

"And Peace!" Seree heard Lash bark. She looked up, and then looked up at Warren getting up. She made the softest noise of protest, and he gave her an apologetic look. She reluctantly released his hand, and pulled him down by his jacket.

"Good luck," she whispered, and let him go. She watched him trudge down the stairs with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. _He's done this a million times, _she thought, then rolled her eyes. _Okay, maybe not a _million_ times, but he'll be fine!_

_...Right?_

She leaned back in her seat, pouting slightly. She watched the fight commence with bored eyes, but couldn't ignore the steadily building uneasiness in her stomach. She squashed the feeling, and shook her head. She followed the fight with alert eyes, and puffed out some air. Boring fight. She yawned, and looked back.

Her eyes snapped open when she saw Speed create his oxygen-sucking vortex around Warren. She saw him choke, and he started to suffocate as the oxygen was ripped away from his lungs.

Will noticed, too. _Only thirty second left!_ He thought, turning back to the citizen. Then he heard Seree's panicked cry of "_Warren_!" reverberate around the walls of the gym. He looked up.

Seree was on her feet, everybody staring at her, eyes sparkling with tears. She looked at Will and mouthed, '_Please, _Will.' He glanced back at the choking Warren, and grit his teeth. He marched over to the running Speed, and grabbed his shirt color. He lifted him off the floor, maneuvered him towards Lash, and let him go. Then he grabbed Warren, hoisted him up, and threw him at the citizen.

"Time!" Boomer yelled. "She's alive!" Warren tossed the citizen off him, and Will offered him his hand. Warren scorned him, getting up himself. Seree was the first to leave the stands, pelting down the stairs to the gym floor. She waited until everyone was gathered around Will, then fiercely hugged Warren.

"I was worried 'bout you," Seree whispered, trying to blink away tears.

"Oh, c'mon," he said, rubbing his hand soothingly on her back. "It wasn't like I was gonna die. Besides, I've been in worse, remember?" She let him go momentarily, holding him at arm's length to stare at him. He gave her a tiny smile.

"Jerk," she said, sniffling and smacking him lightly in the shoulder. He looped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her reassuringly.

She waited outside the boy's locker room while he got changed, and linked arms with his when he came out.

"Now let's go, before people start staring," Warren rumbled, once again intertwining his fingers with hers. She nodded, wiping away a tear.

"Oh, wait!" Seree exclaimed, letting go of Warren's hand and weaving her way through the crowd to Will. "Will!" She called, waving out to him. "Will!" He spotted her, and waved back, grinning. She sidled up next to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for helpin' out Warren, Will. Bye!" She called, whirling back through the crowd to Warren.

"What was that all about?" He asked her, scowling darkly.

"Well, I know he's your arch enemy and all, but I wanted to thank him for helping you," Seree explained, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry if it's, like, 'You're my property and I won't let you kiss any other boys!' " She said, glancing down at their intertwined hands.

"No, it's not," he said, leaning in and kissing her cheek. She blushed happily, and they walked out of the gym together.


	21. AN: An Apology

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**A/N: I'm a bit shaken up right now, due to circumstances that will be kept secret for my safety and other's safety. But I'll need a few days to recuperate before attempting to post another chapter. I'm sorry for ditching this soon after posting a new chapter, but I've been down lately.**

**I mean, my story must suck. I've written at least 17 chapters, and I only have 64 reviews. Look at Victoria Elizabeth! Her amazing story, Fire Eyes, has 10 chapters and twice the reviews that I have. **

**I'm sorry, everybody. I'm feeling a bit self-conscious right now, and I don't want to write anymore. Maybe in a few days I'll feel better.**

…**Or maybe I'll just post the last chapter and move my life on from this story. **

**I apologize,**

**Seree**

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	22. Criss Crossed Homecoming Plans

**A/N: Okay, next chapter in the series. I'm planning on ending it pretty soon, though. I'm running out of ideas. Sorry, to all you guys who like it out there. And also sorry, for not updating sooner. I'm so lazy. (;-;)**

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Seree looked at the clock, and gave a start when she saw what time it was. Time had flown since she had picked up her book. She had to go and meet Warren at his restaurant! She jumped out of bed, bounded down the stairs, grabbed her coat, and launched out into the night air. She ran down the sidewalks, slowing to a walk when she came to the sign of the Paper Lantern. She smoothed out her ruffled jeans and her hair, then waited in the glare of a nearby streetlight for Warren to appear.

She was staring at her Bat-man Converse when she heard the jingle of the bell on the Paper Lantern's door. Her head shot up, her eyes sparkling with happiness. She began to walk towards the entrance, only to stop at a dead halt a few feet away.

Warren was standing out in front of the doorway, a half-smile playing on his lips as he talked to another girl. Seree's mouth dropped open when she saw the girl throw her arms around Warren's neck. Warren patted her gingerly on the head, then she released him. He gave a small wave when she walked away, and Seree saw the half-smile grow wider.

"So," she said, sauntering up to Warren. She felt a strange delight in the way he jumped out of surprise. "Who was she?" She asked innocently, keeping her voice light and casual.

"A freshman girl who's fallen head over heels into love with Will Stronghold," he explained in one short sentence. He began meandering back into the restaurant, Seree tagging along behind him. "She was supposed to meet him here, but he ditched her. She was sitting all along at her table, looking like she was going to cry, so I talked with her for a little bit." He caught Seree scowling at him from the corner of his eyes. "It, uh... nothing like that, though," he said nervously, and Seree softened.

"Eh, I guess I'll take your word for it," she said, sliding into a booth. Warren slid in across from her as she crossed her legs, and propped her chin up on her open palm. "So, what was it like? Lots of heavy breathing, moaned promises, and touching in _just_ the right places?"

Warren, who had been drinking some water, inhaled sharply and began coughing. He goggled at her in open-mouthed shock. "No!" He said defiantly, and Seree giggled.

"Of course, love. I was just kidding," she said, getting up out of the booth and snatching Warren's apron. "Here, I'll help you clean up."

The next day, Seree sat next to Warren at 'his' table. She leaned her back on his side, stretching her legs out to take up most of the table bench. He had looped an arm around her waist, and Seree, quite taken with the idea of intertwining fingers, did the very thing with her and Warren's hands. She was closing her eyes and dozing off when Layla sat across from warren.

"Hi, Warren," she chirped, and Warren looked up at her with raised eyebrows. Seree cracked open one eyelid and stared at Layla through the corner of her eye. She carefully untwined her and Warren's hands, knowing that he wouldn't want anybody to know they were a couple.

"Did I do or say anything last night to make you think this is okay?" Warren asked, anger simmering underneath the surface of his voice.

"Haha, you're so funny. But seriously, you're never gonna believe what happened," Layla began, stabbing her salad leaves with her plastic fork. "I was just about to ask Will to Homecoming when... wouldn't you know it? I told him I was going with you, instead!" Seree's head snapped to the side, allowing her to stare at Layla full-on.

"I don't remember that being the plan," Warren growled, and Seree snapped her head up at Warren this time. She glared at him, and he tried to convey an apologetic feeling.

Suddenly, Magenta appeared out of nowhere and sat next to Layla. "Hey, Layla," she said, "Did you do the History homework?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Warren snarled, and Seree elbowed him. He glared down at her, and she mouthed, 'Be nice.'

"It's called sitting," Magenta replied, unfazed by Warren's show of anger.

"Nobody sits here but me," he snapped, and Layla and Magenta shared a look. Then she went on chattering about the history homework to Layla.

Ethan also came out of nowhere and sat next to Seree. She barely had time to pull her legs out from under him. "Now we're sitting at Warren's table?" He squeaked out excitedly. "I feel _extremely_ dangerous!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey. Nerd-boy," Seree barked, using one of her feet to slide Ethan along the bench until he was a considerable distance from her. "Three feet or more radius at _all times_, thank you very much." Then she swiveled her body on the seat of her jeans until she was fully facing Layla.

"Now, ladies," she said, smiling benignly. "So," she began, folding her hands in front of her on the table. She flashed each girl a smile, making sure to soften them up a bit. "_What_ is this about _you_ going to homecoming with Warren!" She yelled suddenly, shooting out of her seat and slapping her palms down on the table. She seemed to forget her own advice to Warren to be nice to the freshies. Layla recoiled, and Warren shot her a look that said, 'Calm down, or you'll blow it!' She ignored him.

"Whoa, getting a little _defensive_ there, aren't you?" Magenta said, and Seree bared her teeth at her in a look of savage fury.

Suddenly Layla burst out laughing, and slapped her palm on the table. "Warren, you are cra-azy!" She trilled, following the process of Will and Gwen's path with her eyes. "Please, I promise, I'll try to make this as painless as possible. Look, um..."

"Seree. My name is Seree," Seree said, trying to calm her anger. She sat down slowly, glaring at Layla.

"Seree. Lemme explain. I wanted to ask somebody to Homecoming, but he was already going with somebody else. He asked me who I was going with, and I, uh," she shrugged sadly, "I panicked. I said Warren asked me to the dance." She peered up at Seree through her eyelashes. "Sorry," she murmured.

Seree gave a frustrated sigh, and looked at Warren. "Are you okay with it?" She asked, and he shrugged.

"If it's to get at Stronghold, I'm in," he said, grinning widely. "Are _you_ okay with it?"

"You like him?" She asked Layla, who nodded. "Then I'm cool with it. I'll try to make myself scarce when you two are together, okay?" She socked Warren lightly in the shoulder. "Hey, now you have a date! You must be tickled pink!" She said wryly, and he glared at her. "Let's blow this joint. Good luck, ladies!" She gave Magenta and Layla a two-fingered salute, and started walking away. Warren gave them all a milk-curdling look, and trotted to catch up with Seree.

"What's _up_ with those two?" Ethan asked, scooting up closer to Zack. "It's like she's his--"

"--girlfriend," Magenta finished, waving her fork in their direction. "Maybe she is?"

"Doubt it, Maj," Zack said, chewing on his food. "I mean, c'mon! It's _Warren Peace_! Like _he_ could ever have a girlfriend." He made a 'Pssh' sound, and continued on chewing his food. Magenta, Layla, and Ethan nodded in acknowledgment.

Seree waited for Warren at the doors of the high school, leaning against the pillars framing the doors. She pushed herself off the pillar by the heel of her foot, standing herself upright next to Warren.

"So, what's your view on the whole Homecoming thing?" Seree asked, lacing her fingers through Warren's fingers. The two started walking across the grass, finally coming to the edge of the school grounds. Warren sat down, Seree sitting in-between his legs so she could lean against his chest. He rested his chin on her head, draping his arms over her shoulders.

"Honestly? I think it's pretty stupid," he replied, the way his chest reverberated when he spoke soothing Seree. She nodded, closing her eyes. She rubbed her thumb against the webbing between his forefinger and thumb. "She should just tell the guy she loves him."

"Mmm... then why go to Homecoming with her?" Seree asked, her eyes still closed.

He sighed, then pondered for a minute. "I guess it's because I want to get at Stronghold," he rumbled, and Seree opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Why? Other than him totally kicking your ass in the cafeteria that one day," she said, shifting her line of sight back to the lazily floating clouds. "He seems like a pretty decent kid."

"My father..." Warren began, closing his eyes. "His dad, The Commander, put my father in jail. Quadruple life sentence, no chance of parole till his third life." Seree gasped, her eyes opening.

"Oh, Warren, I... I'm sorry. I didn't know what happened," Seree said guiltily.

"It's alright," he said, but they didn't press the subject any further. Seree snuggled further into his chest, grabbing one of his wrists and kissing his palm. He opened his eyes slowly and turned his head down to look at her.

"I heart you," she said softly, tracing the lines on his palm. He smiled gently at her.

"Likewise, you little booger," he replied, and she gasped in mock-anger.

"What did you just call me?" She said laughingly, whirling around to face him. He tried to conjure up a halo, and she smacked him. He shoved her playfully, almost knocking her off the edge of the school. "Oh, it's _on_ now!" She roared, and pounced on him.

He picked Seree up by the waist and dropped her on the grass, taking the advantage and high-tailing it out of there. She growled, and ran him down. Seree jumped and tackled him around the waist, causing the two to fall onto the grass. They tumbled over and over for a bit, carried by the momentum, and came to a stop with Seree on top of Warren. He circled his arms around her waist, and she rested her head against his chest.

"What am I gonna do for Homecoming?" She asked suddenly, and he shrugged.

"Come by yourself, and once Layla gets Will, we'll meet up again," Warren suggested, and she nodded. He inhaled the sweet scent of grass, and smiled up at Seree. He leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss. They kissed for a while, then Seree broke away when the bell rang.

"Crap. We gotta go, c'mon," she said, scrambling off him and yanking him up. She ran into the school, Warren trailing behind.


	23. Finale LAST CHAPTER

**Okay, I sincerely apologize for the prolonged absence, I sorta died for a while. Since I figured I wouldn't write the next chapter in the series, I decided to post the last chapter. Yes, folks, You Can't Say 'I Hate You' Forever is ending. Life goes on, believe me. Anyways, yeah. Here you go, readers! The last installment of the series! Bows and closes curtain**

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Layla raised a fist to knock on the door she was standing in front of. The large, dark mahogany door led to the inside of a rather large house. The front walkway spiraled to an arch of bricks that led under an overhanging, and was shaded by a huge white olive tree in the front lawn. The whole house and lawn were in a courtyard, circled by a brick wall. An iron gate served as a way to get into this courtyard. A small fountain gurgled merrily next to the walkway to the door.

She hesitated slightly, wondering if they would remember her from way back when. It had been maybe three years since graduation, but they had kept in touch over the phone. This was the second time she would be seeing them in person again. Finally, she gulped and rapped her knuckles twice on the door.

After a few moments, a woman opened the door. She was beautiful, with auburn hair tumbling over her shoulders and deep, green eyes. She had pale, smooth skin, and was wearing an apron over a simple top and faded jeans. She blinked at Layla for a minute, then recognition dawned on her. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled widely.

"_Layla_!" She exclaimed, stepping out of the door and sweeping her friend into a hug. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Seree, I've missed you!" Layla replied, squeezing the girl in return. The two grinned at each other, until Seree ushered her in.

"Come, come! We haven't done much with the place since the last time you came," Seree said, gesturing her to a large, squishy couch.

The inside of the house was as charming as the outside. The door led to a large room with couches and chairs situated in it. 'The Conference Room,' Seree called it, reserved for parties or business meetings. The room branched out into three hallways on the left, the front, and the right. The front hallway led to a room with two walls of stone, and one wall of glass. The glass overlooked a pool in the backyard. The right hallway led to Seree's, her husband's, and their two children's rooms. There were also a few closets along the way, and a computer room. The left hallway led to a room with a few couches, a sliding glass door, and a big TV, connected to a large kitchen.

"Your house looks as wonderful as ever," Layla said, looking around. She had always loved this place.

"It's a mess, though. My kids are like giant whirlwinds of messy… ness," Seree said, chuckling slightly as she picked up a few toys and discarded coats. "Would you like some iced tea?" She asked, padding in her bare feet to the kitchen.

"Yes, please," Layla called, taking her sandals off and setting her purse to one side.

Seree bustled around in the kitchen for a while, then came out grasping two long cups of iced tea. She had taken off her apron, Layla noticed. She set one iced tea down in front of Layla, who murmured a 'Thank you,' then sat down next to her.

Layla took a sip of her iced tea, then said, "Your kids aren't _half_ as messy as my Will."

Seree chuckled, then gasped as she remembered the two had married a little over a year after graduation. "How are you two doing?" She asked suddenly, her eyes sparkling happily.

"Well…" Layla began, smiling shyly. "The stick turned blue. I'm pregnant."

Seree's eyes widened, and she smiled ecstatically. "Are you _serious_?" She asked, eyeing Layla. Layla blushed and nodded. "Ohmygosh! I'm so _happy_ for you!" Seree squealed, bouncing up and down and squeezing Layla tightly.

"Yeah," Layla said, exhaling and leaning back. "After a year of trying, we finally got it…" An uneasy feeling stirred in Layla's stomach, and her eyes shifted from her iced tea to her stomach. Seree, of course, noticed this. She laid a hand on Layla's and stared into her eyes.

"Don't you want this?" Seree asked seriously, regarding Layla with her green eyes.

"Well, yes, I do!" Layla exclaimed right away. "But…" She bit her lip. "What if we screw up? What if we totally blow it?"

Seree gave Layla a gentle smile. "Hey, that's what we thought, too," she said reassuringly. "It'll turn out alright. Heck, Will's a Stronghold." Seree made a face. "As if _that_ wouldn't traumatize the kid enough." That comment earned a laugh from Layla. "But I'm serious," Seree said, once again turning somber. "You guys'll do fine."

Layla nodded, reassured. She looked around the house, noticing that it was unusually quiet. "By the way, where's your hubby and the little monsters?" She asked, and Seree playfully shoved her.

"They're out playing in the backyard," Seree said, gesturing to the glass door. Layla saw what appeared to be three bodies interlocked with each other tumble past the door: one big, two small. "Do you think I should tell him?" She asked, just as the sliding glass door opened.

"Tell me what?" A deep, smooth voice said. Seree lifted her hand without turning, and made hand motions to shoo him off.

"Oh, pish! You wouldn't want to know anyways!" Seree cried, winking at Layla.

"Try me," the voice said, and there came the sound of running feet. Seree set her glass down on the table, and was tackled by two small children.

They looked about two years old, twins. One was a beautiful little girl, with strawberry-blonde hair and big blue eyes. She had the makings of two bird-wings coming out of her back. The other was a little boy, with dark hair and dark eyes. Layla could see faint red streaks running through his hair.

"Mommy!" The twins squeaked, crawling all over their mother.

"C'mon, kids, mom's not a jungle-gym," the voice said, and two large hands picked up the little girl. Layla looked up, and grinned when she saw who it was.

Warren Peace plopped the little girl on his shoulders, and grasped her ankles to keep her from falling off. He looked mostly the same, except his hair now reached mid-back, and he wasn't wearing his leather jacket. Instead, he was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans.

He spotted Layla, and sat next to Seree. "Hey, it's the Stronghold gal!" Warren said, sliding the little girl off his shoulders. She sat down on his knee, watching Layla with bright eyes. "How's it goin' over at your place?" He asked, and Layla smiled.

"Pretty good," she replied, as the little boy crawled onto her lap.

"Adam!" Seree reprimanded, but Layla shook her head to say, 'No, it's alright.'

"He's so cute," Layla cooed, stroking Adam's hair. "What are your children's names, again? I've forgotten."

"The girl is Serenity, and the boy is Adam," Seree replied, tickling Serenity. Serenity squealed happily.

"I hope I don't seem rude, but I'm curious. How did she get her wings?" Layla asked, still cuddling Adam.

"My mother and grandmother both had wings. The gene for wings apparently skipped me, but it was passed onto Serenity," Seree explained, and hugged Serenity tightly. She squeaked in protest. "That's also where she gets her blue eyes and blonde hair."

Layla nodded, and the three (five, including the kids) shared a comfortable silence. Finally, Warren gave a snorting sound and leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Now, what was this news that I wouldn't be interested in?" He asked, staring at Layla with his intense, dark eyes. She glanced at Seree, and Seree grinned.

"Well, you know how Will and I have been trying for a year to have a baby?" She inquired.

"Mm-hmm," Warren said, shaking strands of black hair out of his daughter's grip.

"Well…" Layla began, clasping her hands together and bringing her thumbs up to her chin, with her forefingers resting on her nose. "It worked. I'm pregnant."

Warren grinned, and Layla remembered how, back in Sky High, he was always a dark and brooding figure in the school. In her freshman year, he had always seemed grumpy, even with the more cheery Seree at his side. Finally, throughout the years, he had softened up, thanks to the girl sitting next to him. Now he had almost the same disposition as Will. He was still a little dark and mysterious, though.

"That's awesome," Warren said, a sincere happiness lacing his voice. "How long?"

Layla was caught a little off-guard by the question, but regained her composure quickly. "About a month and a half."

"When you get about three months in, you start getting up in the middle of the night and craving weird foods. And then you get all hormone-y and start having tons of crazy mood swings," Warren said.

"How do you know?" Layla asked, eyeing Warren suspiciously.

"I lived with her when she was pregnant, remember?" Warren asked, gesturing at Seree. Seree gave him a scandalized look and punched him lightly in the shoulder. Serenity pointed and laughed, and Adam grinned widely.

The three adults talked for about an hour, catching up on each other's lives and reminiscing from when they were back in school.

"Ohmygosh, remember that one time you were going to ask Will out to be your Homecoming date, but then he told you he was going with Gwen?" Seree asked, eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Yeah, and I asked _him_ instead?" Layla replied, pointing at Warren. She and Seree collapsed into laughter. Warren crossed his arms and made a pouty face.

"That was _so_ not funny," he groused, and Seree and Layla burst into fits of laughter again.

"Oh, and Homecoming was just some ploy to get the Strongholds back for making Gwen go through puberty twice or something?" Layla asked, and Seree nodded.

"Tch. I always knew Lash and Speed would turn out bad," Seree growled, rolling her eyes. "And did you hear? They got out on account of _good behavior_!" She exclaimed, eyes widening with disbelief.

"Really?" Layla gasped, leaning forward. Seree nodded, and Warren grinned.

"But we'll send their butts back to jail again, if need be!" He cried, raising his hands and erupting them into flame.

"Dude, you're scaring the kids," Seree scolded, jabbing him in the ribs with her finger. He gave an 'Oomph!' sound, and immediately deflated. He rubbed the sore spot, making faces at Seree. She gave him a toothy grin, then turned back to Layla.

The three adults chatted for a while, reminiscing the old days. Finally, Layla glanced at the clock. Her jaw dropped open, and she got up.

"I should get going," she said, handing Adam to Warren. Seree made a sound of protest, but Layla explained, "It's getting late, and Will's going to wonder where I've been. I also need to cook dinner." Seree shared glances with Warren, and the two sat in silence for a bit while Layla bustled about.

"Then call him up and ask him if you two can have dinner over at our place," Warren suggested, and Layla halted in her tracks.

"You know, that's actually a good idea!" She exclaimed, and got out her cell phone.

"_All_ my ideas are good ideas," Warren said, closing his eyes and leaning back. Seree snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I beg to differ, Mr. Ego," She said, poking him viciously in the stomach.

"Ow! What's with the _poking_?" He snapped, and Adam giggled. Serenity went back to playing with his hair, making him shake his head several times to get the strands of hair away from her grip.

Finally, Layla hung up the phone. "He's flying over right now," she said happily, eyes sparkling. Seree nodded, then blanched as she realized how much food she would have to cook.

"Layla? Help me with dinner?" She asked piteously, and Layla couldn't help but nod.

Seree handed her an apron, and the two immediately got started on dinner.

"We have… roast chicken or beef kebabs," Seree said, glancing in her recipe book.

"Roast chicken would work. You know how Will feels about your chicken," Layla said, and the two got to work.

Will landed outside the house when they were halfway through making dinner, and he and Warren talked for a while. They lightly made fun of each other (as guys do), then began to play with the kids. While the chicken was roasting, Layla and Seree peeked over the wall to watch the two guys tussle with the children.

"See?" Seree whispered to Layla as Will tickled Adam and blew on his stomach. "He'll make a great dad." Layla nodded, the uneasy feeling in her stomach permanently banished.

"Warren's great with kids, too," Layla said, pointing at Warren as he hoisted Serenity up in the air and tossed her a few times.

"Yeah, who woulda guessed?" Seree asked, smiling as she watched the men cavorting with the kids.

Finally, the chicken was done. They all gathered around the circular dinner table, Serenity and Adam sitting between Seree and Warren, and Will and Layla sitting next to each other. They dug into the food without hesitation.

The chicken was superb, crispy on the outside yet juicy and moist on the inside. Seree and Layla had also made some creamy mashed potatoes, some sort of apple dish, and rolls.

After a few hours, Will and Layla decided to call it quits and leave. "Thank you both," Will said, kissing Seree on each cheek and clasping hands with Warren for a second. "The dinner was amazing."

"Anytime, Will," Seree replied, smiling. "Good luck with the baby! You two have got to call us when the little tyke's born. We'd love to see it."

"We would?" Warren asked, and Seree elbowed him.

"Yes," Seree replied, her tone warningly sweet. Layla giggled, and the two girls embraced. "Bye!"

"Bye," they called, and Will grasped Layla's waist, took off, and disappeared into the night sky.

Seree waved for a while, then went back into the house. Warren followed closely behind, closing the door quietly. Seree gathered up the two sleeping children, and carried them to their rooms.

"That was fun," she said, changing quickly into her nightgown after she had put the kids to bed.

"Mm-hmm," Warren replied, nodding in agreement. "G'night, love." He kissed her on the top of the forehead, and slid into bed.

Seree got in next to him, snuggling up against his warm back. She sighed happily, and closed her eyes. Good friends, good family, good house…

Yeah. Life was good, too.


	24. AN: A Proposition

Hey, so I was wondering

Hey, so I was wondering.

I was going through this story recently and I'm itching to rewrite it.

I don't know if I'll be able to follow through with the actual rewrite, seeing as how I'm dangerously fickle and might lose interest, but for right now I really want to revise it. You know, make it better, maybe change some things, etc.

What do you guys think?


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